Chapter 327: Hate It So Much, Love It So Much

Chapter 327: Hate It So Much, Love It So Much

Judgment day!

Today, they were going to settle the outcome.

Right at that moment, with three great helpers by her side, Nanami’s confidence was higher than ever. She stood in the center of the Service Club and clenched her fist as she looked far away.

Huh, wait a minute, judgment day or something…

Actually, it should have been a long battle, shouldn’t it?

Yes, yes, trying to win everything at once was definitely a bad idea.

Nanami almost got too big-headed, but luckily she realized it just in time.

So, after that, she started feeling restless again. In the Service Club, she stood up, sat down, stood up, sat down. Whenever she was free, her thoughts ran wild.

Why hadn’t Himekoji come yet?

The time they planned to meet was almost here.

Could he have run into trouble and couldn’t make it?

Ah, what if he ditched her?

That would be way too awkward!

After all, Yuigahama and the others were watching close by.

…

“Nanami, Nanami, who exactly is the person you like? It was fine not to tell us before, but now that it’s this kind of moment, there shouldn’t be any reason to hide it anymore, right?”

Yuigahama had been curious for almost a whole week; it felt like her heart was being tickled.

And what bothered her most was—

The closer the secret was to coming out, the less she could stand that ticklish feeling.

“H-he will be here soon, just see for yourself.”

Nanami stumbled over her words but still couldn’t say Himekoji’s name.

For sure, no matter what, liking a pervert was still a bit too embarrassing to admit…

They would probably think she had gone crazy, right?

Nanami sighed quietly in her head; in truth, she often thought she might be nuts, too.

To actually like a pervert, to like that kind of pervert.

Nasty, shameless, with no limits at all…

But even so, she liked him.

Feelings were such strange things.

Aoyama Nanami kept trying until now because she liked Himekoji.

…

Talking about the first time she spoke to Himekoji, it was a year ago now, wasn’t it?

Mm, yes, it was in Nanami’s first week after starting at Toyosaki.

Because they were taking turns with chores, she greeted him—

“Himekoji.”

Even though she just called his name normally, Himekoji acted surprised. He lifted his head to look at Nanami with a shocked face.

At that time, Nanami thought she got his name wrong and felt totally embarrassed. A blush spread over half her cheeks right away.

“Wh-what was it?”

Nanami asked later and found out that Himekoji’s surprise was because he heard an odd Kansai dialect from her.

Because of that, she got her first impression of Himekoji.

They didn’t speak again for weeks after that. By the second time they talked, it was the second month after school began.

Himekoji back then wasn’t like he was now. He wasn’t a pervert; he was just a normal, kind-hearted guy.

In fact, he didn’t show a single sign of being a pervert. You could even say he was a proper and gentle person.

The chance for a second chat came on some afternoon after school.

Even though it was long ago, Nanami remembered clearly that day was a Friday.

The last class was PE. She passed by the sports field and happened to see Himekoji running fast with a ball on the soccer pitch. With his sweat flying, he had a strange kind of charm that made Nanami stop and stare for a while.

Of course, she didn’t start liking him back then, probably.

After PE, it was school-out time. Nanami planned to go back to her dorm. On the way, she passed the Special Building and saw a bunch of people crowded around its base.

Her curiosity pushed her to join the back of the group.

She saw a small cat in a cardboard box, dumped there by someone.

A piece of paper saying “Needs adoption” was stuck on it.

Some students who went by found it super cute and giggled as they petted the cat’s head. Others pulled snacks from their bags and fed the cat.

Then, they walked away feeling happy after doing that.

Among all these people, no one planned to take the cat home.

Not one.

Naturally, there was no way to help it. Most students at Toyosaki lived in the dorms, and the dorms had rules against keeping cats.

Not everyone wanted to go against the rules.

That cat probably had to spend the night outside again. But just as Nanami thought that, a guy walked through the crowd and came out.

He didn’t pet the cat’s head or feed it food. Instead, he crouched in front of the cat and lifted the box up like it was no big deal.

It felt as natural as picking up his own stuff.

That “he” was Himekoji.

He paid no mind to the people around him. Himekoji spoke gently to the cat, even though it didn’t understand him.

Himekoji pushed through the crowd to get there and did the same to leave. The only change between his coming and going was that he held the cat now.

Watching Himekoji walk farther away, Nanami didn’t even think first. Her body took over and started moving.

She ran after Himekoji.

“Himekoji.”

That was the whole story of how they spoke a second time, with a call name as the start again.

“Ah, Aoyama?”

Himekoji spoke and turned at the same time when she stopped him. Before he turned his head, he already said her name.

Right then, she felt a tiny bit happy inside.

Because he knew her just by the sound of her voice!

Even though it was only their second talk.

This feeling was hard to explain. It made Nanami smile a little without meaning to.

“Himekoji, are you going to adopt her?”

Nanami pointed to the cat in Himekoji’s arms.

“Yes, indeed.”

Himekoji nodded as if it were a matter of course.

“But… did you decide so rashly? See, only you among everyone actually went and picked it up.”

Nanami didn’t know why she said these words. It was only when the question slipped out that she stared intently at Himekoji with sparkling eyes, waiting for his answer.

“Everyone? They’re them, and I’m me.”

Himekoji didn’t seem to find any issue with it. He looked at the kitten in his arms, his gaze warm and soft as jade.

“I wasn’t being rash. Look, it needs a family.”

At that moment, the kitten in the cardboard box seemed to understand Himekoji. It purred warmly and rubbed its fluffy little head against his fingers.

“And I need…”

The last bit was spoken so softly Nanami didn’t catch it.

“What?”

When she asked again, he didn’t answer, only smiling and shaking his head.

That smile deepened Nanami’s impression of Himekoji.

Before, she’d only thought of him as just another ordinary classmate. But in that instant, that simple, careless definition felt strongly out of place.

He was different from the other boys in the class.

Yes, different!

A special kind of color—something only he had!

Nanami became absolutely certain.

Her big, clear eyes fixed straight on him.

Was it love at first sight?

No, it wasn’t. There was none of that restless, intense emotion.

If forced to describe her impression of Himekoji back then, the phrase “a strange person” might fit best.

An ordinary person, upon seeing a stray kitten, would at most think ‘Oh so cute, let me pet it’, or perhaps feed it a snack.

But Himekoji’s choice was different from everyone else’s. Without hesitation, he picked up the cat.

One kind of reaction was pity—”Ah, a stray cat. Poor thing, pet its head.”

Another kind was a sense of responsibility—”Ah, a stray cat. Let’s become family.”

Though you couldn’t easily say which approach was better or worse.

At that very moment, Nanami felt a pang of guilt.

Because she too had seen the kitten, found it adorable and likeable, and then… that was all. The thought of taking care of it had never crossed her mind.

Deep down, she knew a newborn kitten like this, left alone, faced uncertainty about whether it could survive long enough to grow strong…

So, what would have become of this kitten had Himekoji not been there?

Could it have really waited here, at this “no cats allowed” school, for its owner?

Himekoji who picked the cat up.

And her who did not.

Nanami thought that her impulsive act of rushing to talk to Himekoji then was probably just to ease her own guilt.

The guilt of turning a blind eye to a living creature.

“Um… could I help take care of the cat too?”

So, on impulse, Nanami blurted those words out.

“Hmm?”

“N-Not possible?”

Her face flushed bright red as she scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

“No, of course you can help.”

Yet that was the definite reply she received.

“Look, Hikari, you have a mommy now.”

Himekoji, holding the cardboard box, laughed and pointed Nanami out to the kitten nestled close against him.

“Huh? M-Mommy?!”

Nanami was startled.

Though she hadn’t thought about romance with him yet, she still felt inexplicably shy.

As if to change the subject—

“Um… is ‘Hikari’ its name?”

“Mn, isn’t it great?”

As he said this, Himekoji looked utterly pleased with himself then.

From then on, raising Hikari became the bond connecting Nanami and Himekoji.

As they cared for the kitten together, Nanami gradually grew closer to Himekoji. It became easier and easier to talk.

So she learned that Himekoji had grown up right here in this town.

She learned he had a long-separated little Imouto.

She heard the reason he constantly had to work part-time jobs to save money.

Day by day, she understood more of him. Their conversations turned increasingly casual and free.

Talk of school assignments.

Of interesting manga.

Of TV shows watched yesterday.

They chatted a great deal about all kinds of this-and-that, messy little nothings.

Unintentionally, even her dreams started featuring Himekoji Akito.

Later, she even poured out everything to Himekoji—her dream of becoming a Seiyuu, how she’d fought with her family over it, and how she had come all alone to this place.

Secrets she’d never told anyone else became something shared only between her and Himekoji.

To help her, the experienced part-timer Himekoji introduced her to many good job opportunities. They paid well, and the hours didn’t conflict with school.

The two began working part-time together outside of class hours.

Was that when it started?

When she realized it, looking for Himekoji had already become a habit…

Every morning, she’d glance sideways to check, confirming the whereabouts of that reckless guy who’d inevitably be nearly late, sprinting into the Classroom at the very last second.

In PE class, among all the boys changing into their uniforms, Nanami would instinctively search for Himekoji.

If she spotted him with one glance, her mood would soar, as if it guaranteed the whole day would be wonderful.

Then, like something mastered through practice, little by little, no matter where she looked, Nanami became able to find Himekoji Akito easily, instantly.

When working part-time together, her gaze would follow Himekoji. Occasionally, she made mistakes at work because she stared too intensely.

When the manager came to scold her, Himekoji would shield her. He apologized on her behalf and took the manager’s angry yelling.

Every time this happened, Nanami should have felt ashamed. But somehow, inside her heart, she felt the opposite—it was as sweet as eating honey.

Besides this—

Sometimes, when Nanami found one of Himekoji’s funny habits, she happily giggled stupidly and marked it in her notebook.

During breaks after class, she always liked walking past Himekoji’s desk, pretending it was not on purpose.

When collecting homework for Sensei, she always rushed to get Himekoji’s notebook first.

In cooking class, she hoped to be in the same group as Himekoji.

She thought the whole three years of high school would go on like this—a shy, unclear, and careful young love.

Until one day, Himekoji—who was serious, gentle, kind, and responsible—suddenly changed and became a Pervert.

He was dirty, shameless, and had no limits…

Back then, Nanami angrily asked Himekoji why he did this.

But Himekoji said nothing.

After that, he silently kept his distance from her.

Their relationship suddenly hit rock bottom.

Nanami began to feel uneasy inside.

“Pervert! Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!”

Maybe she wanted to yell him awake, or maybe just to fill her own unease. Nanami became the one who scolded Himekoji the most.

The more she liked him before, the more she hated him later.

She thought she didn’t want to see that person anymore.

But every time she got hungry at the month’s end, she ate Himekoji’s Bento.

Every time she was worn out from part-time work, medicine Himekoji bought for her showed up in her desk.

Some people are like that—whether you like or hate them, they rudely jump into your world and boss around.

Hate!

Hated so much!

Suddenly becoming a Pervert, hate!

Acting cold and keeping distance from her, hate!

Secretly living with Mashiro, hate!

Being a big siscon, hate!

Saying in public at school that he loves loli, hate!

Forcefully kissing Miura, hate!

Having a “wedding” with Hiratsuka-sensei, hate!

Playing Hero stupidly for Yukinoshita without caring for his life, hate!

Making excuses about not wanting his Bento and shoving it at her, hate!

Taking her in when she couldn’t pay dorm fees, giving her his bedroom, then acting generous by sleeping in the study, hate!

When she was sick with high fever and failed her Seiyuu audition, holding her and saying she could depend on him, hate!

Being cold sometimes, caring sometimes, always trying to be cool with her, and the gentle moments after being a Pervert…

Hate! All hate!

He was just a Pervert, but he made her like him.

Hate! Most hated!

Even though she hated him so much, she still couldn’t help liking him.

Hate!

Hate. Such Himekoji, like… so much.

So hate. So like—

Himekoji.

…

…