Utsuro no Hako:Volume1 3087th time (ch14)

Utsuro no Hako:Volume1 3087th time

I surely love Umaibôs, but in fact I don’t like the Teriyaki Burger flavored ones so much.
I am at the deserted park in front of her house. We are facing each other in front of the water fountain while I am chewing on the Umaibô I got from her.
“…how is it?”
“……mh, err, it’s not a flavor I don’t like, but well…”
“…I’m not really asking about…the Umaibô.”
I know that much. But, I mean, how should I react?
“…so, will you go out with me?”

I don’t have enough experience with such things to keep calm.
But the classmate before my eyes should be just about as flustered as me. At least I have never seen her like this before.
Maybe it’s because of the new mascara she has told me about this morning, but her eyes look even bigger to me than usual. And those eyes are looking straight at me.…there’s no way I can hold such a gaze.
I don’t know what to say, but I can’t just keep silent, so I open my mouth.
“So…you love me?”
The face before my eyes blushes crimson.
“…may…be”
“Maybe?”
I unintentionally ask back.
“……I-It’s pretty mean to ask such a question, you know? You know my answer, right?…O-Or do you want me to say it?”
“Ah…!”
I finally notice how insensitive I was and drop my head in shame.
“I’m…sorry.”
I reflexively apologize. She looks at me with upturned eyes and murmurs.
“……I love you.”
Then she pulls herself up and says straight to my face.
“…I love you.”
I can’t help but avert my eyes because her face stuns me with its cute appearance. My heart is definitely swaying — just by her show of affection.
I think she looks cute.
Her personality is bright, too, and there are always people around her.
I also know that a lot of guys have confessed to her just to end up being turned down.
It would be fun to go out with her, for sure.
But—
“Sorry.”
But I answer her like this. So clearly I am almost surprised myself.
I know what I am doing is a waste. But I just can’t imagine us going out. It doesn’t feel realistic.
Her expectation vanishes from her eyes and is replaces by tears instead. Although I know that this is my responsibility, I can’t look directly at her.
I can’t say anything. Because I’m sure I could only say ‘sorry’ if I started to speak.
“……you hesitated quite a bit, didn’t you?”
I nod to her murmur.
“…say…you like Umaibôs, right?”
Words without context. I nod to them as well.
“But you don’t like Teriyaki Burger flavor that much?”
“…yeah.”
“Which flavor do you like best?”
“Err…Corn Potage, I guess?”
I have no clue why she is asking this, but answer awkwardly.
“I see. U-huh, U-huh…”
She nods repeatedly.
“Ahaha…I failed, then.”
These trivial remarks of hers. I don’t know why, but for some reason those words strike me. It’s like watching a poorly edited video.
“Let’s say the approach of my confession had been different. Would you possibly have accepted, then?”
She says so with while looking up to me.
I don’t know. After all I’m wavering this much. No, that’s not true — I know.
I would turn her down for certain.
It’s evident that I would give her the same answer over and over, unless either the conditions or I myself change.
As long as it’s today, I cannot imagine myself going out with her. Therefore, as long as it’s today, there’s no way I would accept her confession.
“Your face tells me that you don’t know.”
I can’t reply anything.
But she takes this as a ‘yes’ and finally smiles sweetly.
“Aah, okay. So I just need to continue confessing until I succeed, right?”
That may be a good idea. This way I can take at least a little responsibility for rejecting her feelings.
But still —— it has to be after today, you know?