A few minutes later, in a large hospital room nearby.
There, Hayato was being bowed to by Minamo Mitakeâs grandfather.
âIâm sorry âbout that, kid. Okay, are we done here?â
âY-YesâŠâ
âMitake. Minamo-chan will be very angry with you for being so careless.â
âThatâs right, Grandpa Mitake, I donât care if Minamo-chan stops talking to you, okay?â
âKuh~⊠My bad, Iâm sorry! So forgive me, boy.â
âY-YesâŠâ
However, his appearance was one of disapproval, and he looked as if he was forced to do so by the other members of the large room. One could not help but feel that he was still not convinced.
âWell, calm down, Mitake. You boy, are you the sensei whoâs been teaching Minamo-chan about vegetables lately?â
âSe-Sensei!?â
âMinamo-chan has been smiling happily lately, thanks to you.â
âEven that old man thanks that teacher behind his back.â
ââŠFuu~n.â
âAhaha~âŠâ
Minamo Mitakeâs grandfatherâs eyes are very sharp and hostile towards Hayato. He seems like a difficult person to get to know.
However, judging by the fact that the people around him are making fun of him, itâs likely that his granddaughter is not involved on that front.
One more thing, Minamo Mitake seems to be well loved by the people around her. Thatâs probably why she frequents this place so much.
âNow then, kid, you seem to be a new student⊠So why?â
âWhat?â
âWhy are you talking to our Minamo?â
âThatâsâŠâ
âI know Minamo is cute. You could say she is an angel without wings. I can understand why you would want to talk to her. Are you hitting on her? Are you playing with her? If so, youâreââ
âI-Iâm not!â
It was an unusual amount of energy.
And without pausing for a beat, he thrust his cane in front of Hayatoâs eyes.
Itâs very difficult to laugh it off as a joke, and he couldnât resist saying what he was thinking.
âS-She resembled one of my neighbors from where I used to live! I took care of her a lot, and the way she panicked was just like her, so I couldnât leave her alone!â
âOh, Minamo you say? What kind of girl is she?â
âSheâs an eight-year-old girl with the same curly hair.â
âSo thatâs why you approached her.â
âY-Yes!â
Minamo Mitakeâs grandfather looked a little uncomfortable.
However, the other people in the room muttered positive things like, âI can understand,â âHeâs a bit sly,â and âI feel like giving him candy.â
Hayato made a deceptive âAhahaâŠâ sound, but even though she was eight years old, she was a sheep and had long since reached old age.
Meanwhile, Minamo Mitake, who had gone to change the water in the vase, came back.
âGrandpa, where are the flowers⊠Grandpa!? What are you doing to Kirishima-san!?â
âMi-Minamo, this isâŠâ
âGrandpa! Donât do anything strange to Kirishima-san! Come on, letâs go!â
âMi-Minamo!â
âOh, that old man Mitakeâs jealousy is getting the better of him.â
âSee you later, Minamo!â
When Minamo Mitake came back, she was surprised to see Hayato with his grandfather holding a cane to him and immediately took his hand and left the room.
The way she was pulling his hand was so strong that it was hard to imagine that it was her normal hand, and her ears and neck were red with shame.
She could not help but feel embarrassed to see her relatives being so mischievous, so she dragged Hayato along with her.
However, when they reached the lobby on the first floor, he began to feel embarrassed at the sight of the girl pulling him along.
âMitake-san, umm, my handâŠâ
âEhâŠAh! I-Iâm sorry!â
âAh, no.â
This is the first time he has held the hand of the opposite sex, apart from his sister and childhood friend Haruki. When he became aware of this, Hayatoâs face rapidly heated up.
So, to cover it up, he mentioned it.
âH-Heâs surely an energetic old man who loves his grandchildren.â
ââŠAh. Thatâs rightâŠâ
It was something he said without thinking. And in fact, Hayato had seen him in good health.
But this was a hospital, and her grandfather was an admitted patient.
By the time she realized what had happened, it was too late.
Minamo Mitakeâs face, which until then had been tinged with shame, was now shadowed, and she looked as if she was about to start crying.
However, it was only for a momentâ and then she showed her usual squishy smile, which disturbed Hayatoâs heart. He cursed himself for his carelessness and lack of delicacy.
ââŠSorry.â
âNo, thatâs not Kirishima-sanâs fault⊠Itâs my grandpaâs faultâŠâ
âAh, yeah, thatâs⊠right. Haha.â
âYes.â
Both of them bowed their heads and apologized to each other. Then, they smiled bitterly at each other.
The gloomy look on her face earlier was probably only for a moment, and her face, as they looked at each other, showed some core strength.
Thatâs why the dark face he saw earlier was bothering him even more.
(Mitake-sanâs faceâŠ)
He thought they looked alike.
That day. The day when he was a child and his mother collapsed.
The face of Himeko, who couldnât do anything on her own and had to stand by his side for a long time in a daze, lost for words, like a lost child.
Thatâs why Hayato felt that he couldnât leave her alone.
âWith that, Kirishima-san, until next time.â
ââŠAh, you see, Mitake-san!â
âYes?â
âErmm, uhh⊠the flower bed! Can I go to the flowerbed againâŠ?â
âFue?â
It must have been an unexpected remark for Minamo Mitake.
Shortly after, her big eyes blinked, and then her eyes widened in understanding, and she broke down.
âYes!â
âUn, looking forward to it.â
Minamo Mitakeâs smile was met with an ambiguous smile from Hayato.
He was aware that there was something selfish about this offer.
He said good-bye and hurried out of the hospital.
The moment he stepped outside, a strong wind blew.
Translatorâs Afterword: Aight, a flag has been raised for Minamo-chan. Although, itâs obvious that Harukiâs going to win. (And no, I havenât read future chapters, I got no time for that lol)