Himeouji 5

5 - The Surrounding Eyes

RAW

After a few days of such a form of going to and from school, there would indeed be at least a few students here who witnessed them.

However, even before such eyewitness testimony came out, it seems that Himeouji was already on guard.

From the day Yuuma was in charge of picking him up for the first time, Himeouji knew right away that he had to be careful not to talk to him or even approach him at school.

Of course, Yuuma won’t allow such a thing.

“——Oh, found you”

“Geh…”

By the third day, he was used to looking for Himeouji who was the first to leave the classroom and disappear at every recess, especially at lunch break.

It doesn't matter where, if he just goes somewhere unpopular.

Based on these experiences, only after a week, even if Yuuma failed to spot Himeouji leaving the classroom, he could easily spot him at the back of the school building or in an empty classroom.

“No, Geh, you said——isn’t that improper?”

“Uh… W-well, my language is bad but… that can’t be helped right?”

“Don’t answer a question with a question!”

“I’ll be troubled if you get mad though… Haah…”

Himeouji is thinking that him refusing like this is solely for Yuuma’s sake.

Even though Yuuma is on his side, he understands that his evaluation is not just the worst, it’s in the negative, and that it won't improve.

“... You not only accompany me to and from school, you even pick me up and drop me off you know? That alone is enough to help me, so I don't want to cause you any more trouble.”

“I’ve never thought that picking you up and dropping you off is trouble though?, since I also don’t think that talking to you at school is trouble, it didn’t conflict with your request, right?”

“It’s not ‘right?’ right?”

“Like I said, don’t answer a question with a que——”

“Enough of that already!”

Frustrated by the lack of progress in conversation, Himeouji hit the desk with a bang.

Interpreting that as an invitation to sit, Yuuma quietly sat.

While thinking that they are the only ones who would come all the way to this faraway place, an empty classroom in the old school building, to have lunch.

“I too, know that you really feel that way, but the real problem is, people won’t think well of you, you know?”

“That, what part of that is a problem?”

“...Even if Hanyuu-kun doesn’t mind, from my viewpoint, it’s a big problem”

As he sullenly picked up the bento, he furrowed his eyebrows.

Although he said he lives alone, the bento boxes he brings every day are bright, colorful and thoroughly balanced in terms of nutrition.

To be honest, just looking at it stimulated Yuuma’s appetite.

“...That, did you make that yourself? It looks crazy good though”

“No, our housekeeper di——wait, didn’t you hear what I said!?”

As his neat face grimaced, Himeouji glared at him.

“Well——I understand what Himeouji want to say. You're telling me that you don’t like it when people think badly of me, right?”

“T-that’s true but… no, that's right. That’s why even if only at school——”

“Nn—, but you know. Isn’t it too late to worry about that?”

His voice choked up at Yuuma’s counterattack .

At the school, Yuuma is already seen as the only person who sides with Himeouji——a sex offender, and is looked at with 70% confusion and 30% hostility.

However, if it ends with just glances, Himeouji wouldn’t have any complaints.

“No, it’s not really a complaint or anything”

Right, the problem is——the change in treatment toward Yuuma that came from that.

The contempt and ridicule that Himeouji is currently receiving, Yuuma will be showered with the same thing——.

Depending on the situation, he might even be treated like a sex offender too.

Precisely because he received that ugly malice, Himeouji understands the damage.

And because he thinks he was saved by Yuuma, he can't stand the thought of what would happen if it happened.

“Before that happens, just a little is fine, let’s keep our distance okay? That… I get that it’s too late when picking me up and dropping me off.”

“No way, I refuse”

“Don’t refuse! Listen to me!”

That’s right——it’s already too late.

At least their class already knew that they were having lunch together like this, not just the pick up and drop off.

Even during recess, Himeouji couldn't run away like it was during lunch break, so if Himeouji has no choice but to stay in the classroom, Yuuma would casually call out to him.

People around him have already begun to see Yuuma as a different creature.

“I do——but so what?”

“‘So what’...?”

“Honestly, I'm fed up with them, I can’t be bothered thinking about them. It’s much more fun to talk to you and ride a bike with you.”

“Wha——”

Hearing this, it’s easy to see that Himeouji was flustered, his eyes avoided Yuuma’s gaze.

Somehow, his ears look red——no, that might be his imagination.

“Well, that’s how it is, just give up”

“...Hanyuu-kun, is certainly cruel, isn’t it?”

“Eh?”

Yuuma didn’t understand why Himeouji felt like that.

“That… did I, say something bad?”

As if ignoring Yuuma's question, he continued.

“You might think, it's only been about a week, but uh... from the bottom of my heart, I'm grateful to you Hanyuu-kun, and I already trust you more than anyone else.”

“O-ooh, so that’s how it is… amazing, I am”

“That’s right, you’re amazing”

He said it jokingly, but Himeouji's eyes are serious, and the tone of his voice is also serious.

“I'm being forced to ask that benefactor of mine to be hurt for my sake. If that's not cruel, what the hell is that?”

“That's... well, I'm sorry. Certainly, if you look at it that way, it might be.”

Then——, as Himeouji was about to open his mouth, Yuuma stopped him.

“I know it's cruel but——would you please do that? Or rather, even if we were to be released at school now, the loners would only increase by two.”

In this situation, there is no one who will think of talking to Yuuma, but even if there is, they wouldn’t be able to get along with him.

Even if they say it's okay to have a relationship only on the surface, he’ll just clearly refuse.

“Ignoring my situation, if Himeouji say you don’t find this fun I’ll think about it though. I'm having more fun as it is, so I'd be happy if you continue to get along with me.”

As he said this, Yuuma felt his words sink in.

“I know it's a little late for that, but I think I've always wanted to be friends with you.”

The three aforementioned people must have been lingering in his mind.

The reason why he still didn’t interact with Himeouji even after he understood how good he treated other people is because those girls were all around him.

It’s not Himeouji, it’s those girls that Yuuma didn’t want to get close to.

Now that those three girls are separated from him, isn't this the perfect chance?

“Wh-what are you saying, Hanyuu-ku——”

“Won’t you become my friend? Himeouji”

Maybe he heard it in a tone that didn't allow him to say yes or no, Himeouji drew in a slight breath.

However, a moment later, he let out a sigh as if he had given up, and he gave a bitter smile.

“...Don't say anything that will make me cry anymore.”

A drop, like the one he had seen before, slowly trickled down from his eyes.

————

(T/N: I know I translated it to “a drop” both here and before, but that’s because translating it to “drops” isn’t as beautiful. Do you agree? If not, please give me some suggestions. Just so you know, it isn’t tears, it has different kanji and reading)

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