Takamura-kun is Cursed - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Takamura Mahiro Falls

　My feelings are, probably, not love . They’re sympathy .
　I think a 17-year-old is too young to reciprocate such a heavy love . All I’ve to do is pretend that nothing happened, to not believe in fantasy-ish things like past lives . All I’ve to do is pretend that nothing happened . However, I’m wavering .
　For me to think that I can save him, I really don’t know my place .
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　Sunohara had already withdrew from school when the second semester arrived and I head to school .
　There’s no one in Sunohara’s house in Jiyuugaoka . Even when I visited Hiwatari’s granny’s house, thinking that he may be living there, there’s no one . Regarding Hiwatari’s house, it’s so run-down that the beautiful mansion we saw seemed to be a lie . There aren’t even any signs of the cows, horses and chickens raised in the backyard . Was the mansion we saw that day a different one?
　I stand unmoving in front of the run-down mansion .
　In the end, I’m still male and Sena is similarly still female . Is all well if I come to like Sena from now on and lift the curse on both of us? Do I come to like someone else and lift the curse? Or do I not lift the curse for the rest of my life? I haven’t the slightest idea .
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　Sunohara said that he likes me . That he’d always been liking me for 140 years .
　My feelings turned extremely complicated upon hearing that . More than feelings of happiness or such, I merely felt that it was heavy . At the very least, I should’ve been happy if I had romantic feelings for him, but I didn’t feel anything like that . I probably don’t like Sunohara Chiharu romantically .

“So what does Mahiro want to do?”

“I want to forget . I want to pretend that nothing happened, at all . ”

　The answer I reached in this one month is to forget it all .
　I wanted to to toss this hazy feeling in the pit of my stomach away too .
　I would have been able to do something if it could be resolved through actions, but there’s nothing I could do about my heart . On top of that, Sunohara had also left . A hypocritical feeling of wanting to do something continues to rise up even though things are already beyond my control .
　I wanted to completely forget these feelings and bring back how I used to be .
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　Perhaps I told Takafumi, who came with me, everything because I began to have such feelings .

“There’s nothing wrong with forgetting . ”

　It was a voice so cold you won’t think it’s from Takafumi .

“I can’t forget even though I want to . Do I like Chiha? Did sympathy turn into love?”

“Sympathy and love are different . It’s easy to sympathise but difficult to love . The one Mahiro likes me . ”

“Wha…?”
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　Did Takafumi realise I liked him?
　Bam! I feel my cheeks turning warm .

“I thought Mahiro would always be chasing me but you became an adult before I knew it, huh . ”

“Even if I want to chase you, you already have a girlfriend, Takafumi-kun . I can’t remain chasing you forever . ”

“… That’s true . ”
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　Takafumi smiles faintly .
　Seeing that smile had brought me the greatest joy thus far . However, my heart doesn’t skip a beat that much now . I’m slightly surprised at the change in my heart .
　It’s terribly hard to change one’s heart intentionally . It doesn’t like when you tell it to like . However, just like my feelings of love for Takafumi, I believe there are many that changes bit by bit .
　Similarly, even without asking for it, these feelings of sympathy for Sunohara will probably fade as I live on . Perhaps I’ll forget about Sunohara and even about my gender, living my life one way or another .

“Mahiro had been perceptive and easily swept by the flow from young . There’s also how you tend to give up by saying things can’t be helped . As for Sunohara-kun, I’m sure you’ll regret regardless of whether you chase after or throw him away . Moreover, even if you’ve thrown him, it’ll definitely be painful till you forget about him . In that case, I think you should just do whatever you want, Mahiro . Since it’ll hurt either way . ”

“… Will anyone be happy if I force my hypocrisy? Even if I remain by Chiha’s side, the curse won’t be lifted if I don’t like him from the bottom of my heart . Besides, I’ll die someday and leave Chiha behind . If so, Chiha will be saddened again . I may even fall in love with someone else halfway . ”
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“Ask Sunohara-kun about that . No one can say anything as long as Sunohara-kun is fine with that right?”

　Takafumi has a point . However, a person’s life is at stake . It’s unquestionably not an easy step to take .

“I’m fine with that, Hii-chan . ”

　The one coming out from the run-down house is him, Sunohara . Surprise and astonishment arrive together as I question what on earth is this elusive person . At the same time, there’s a tiny bit of joy at meeting him again .

“Fine with, that, you say… No, more importantly, what have you been doing until now? Where were you?”
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“Are you really fine with that, Sunohara-kun? I think it’ll just be saddening for you both . ”

“It’s fine . Even if Hii-chan dies before me, I’ll wait for his next life again . Even if Hii-chan’s feelings change halfway, that’s fine on its own too . ”

　The two proceed with the conversation, pretty much ignoring my words .
　I listen on as if they’re talking about some distant world .
　Why is such a serious conversation unfolding when that curse seems as though some apathetic God had cast it impulsively? This is getting more and more idiotic . I tug Sunohara’s arm .

“You’re an idiot . A huge idiot . I thought you were an idiot ever since we met but you’re seriously idiotic and extremely childish . ”

“Y-Yeah… Even then, I’m 140 years old…”
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“Even if you ask me to like, I won’t come to like someone so quickly . It took me 17 years to finally realise that I like Takafumi-kun . That’s why, it may take 17 years for me to come to like you . So don’t disappear on me all of a sudden like that, idiot . ”

　My words are considerably cruel . I know I’m the worst for sprinkling the possibility that I may like him in order to retain him . Even then, I didn’t want Sunohara to go elsewhere .

　Sunohara appears surprised . He then smiles slightly .

“Right… sorry . ”
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　I’m aware I said something selfish . Nevertheless, these are my honest feelings .
　Possessing feelings make it such that staying silent and eventually forgetting about him is impossible . The one who’ll be saddened in the end is probably Sunohara Chiharu .

“I understand why you left us . No matter how sad I get, everything will be over for me when I reach my end . On the other hand, Chiha has to continue living with the sadness . I may be doing something cruel but…”

“That’s right . Hii-chan’s cruel . Still, I’m saying that I’m with that . Also, didn’t I tell you? I’ll listen to anything Hii-chan says . If you tell me to stay by your side, I’ll stay by your side forever . ”

“I’d like you to give me more time then . I don’t want to spend time living in such a serious manner, but like how we spent time when we just met, when we enjoyed ourselves at Umibukuro . ”
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　I hang my head while holding onto Sunohara’s arm .
　Ah, this isn’t sympathy . It’s friendship .
　The reason I thought Sunohara was pitiful and wanted to lift his curse wasn’t due to sympathy, but friendship .

“Yeah . ”

　Sunohara smiles faintly and displays his cunning head tilt .
　In the end, my curse, Sena’s curse and of course Sunohara’s curse are still not lifted .
　The following few days, Sunohara goes back to school as though nothing happened . He resumes his thoroughly normal school life as though things like past lives, curses and the shadiness he had the past few days didn’t exist .

“In other words, the conclusion is postponed . ”
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　With the eyes of a spectator, I watch Sunohara serve girls in the centre of the classroom as Sena and I peck at our boxed lunches .
　Sena’s boxed lunch is filled with vivid colours and is very delicious-looking . By the way, it seems she made it herself .

“It’s as you say . ”

“That means I still have a chance . ”

“Chance?”

　Sena stands up suddenly, puts both hands on the table and leans forward . Ignoring me, who has question marks flying above my head, Sena’s glossy lips press against my lips . She may have put on some makeup, for her lips have the faint colour of cherry blossoms . They are also soft and tender .
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“A~ah, as expected, we aren’t turning back . ”

　After doing something like a kiss, Sena goes back to eating the boxed lunch like nothing happened .
　Be it Sunohara or Sena, what do they think my kisses are, huh? I’m not the type of woman that’s comfortable with kissing anyone .

“We won’t be having so much trouble if it’s so easy to turn back . ”

“Hey heyy! Hii-chan and Sena-san! It’s unfair to leave me out alone you know?”
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　The one clinging to my neck is Sunohara .
　I heave a sigh and push Sunohara’s arm away .

“I’ll kiss Hii-chan too~”

“It’s good that you erased your shadiness but can’t you behave more intelligently?”

“It’s ‘cos I’m having fun . It’s so much fun being together with Hii-chan and Sena-san . ”

　Happy at Sunohara’s words, I smile slightly .
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　The root of the curse is deep and can’t be easily dug up .
　However, I’m starting to feel that even this life that’s way too different from others’, isn’t too bad . Having such a positive outlook is my strength and also my weakness .

　Takamura-kun is cursed .
　Will a saviour appear to lift Takamura-kun’s curse before he hits 17?

　The end .