Chapter 271: A Troubled Heart

Kazumi knew well that the best way to treat an emotional wound was not to leave Rumi alone in the apartment to overthink. Instead, maintaining a regular and structured daily routine, as they used to, was key.

Some ailments, if not regarded as such, cease to be illnesses altogether.

Because of this, Kazumi personally accompanied Rumi to and from classes, the kendo club, and back to the apartment every day.

Takeshima Shinobu had once privately joked that Kazumi was practically Rumi’s full-time nanny.

Kazumi simply smiled at the remark, saying nothing in response.

Her efforts were not in vain. After another week, Rumi’s complexion had noticeably improved.

She was slowly catching up on the schoolwork she had fallen behind on, and though her kendo skills hadn’t fully returned to their previous level, she no longer said discouraging things like, “I’m not worthy of wielding a sword.”

Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

However, despite this progress, neither Kazumi nor Takeshima Shinobu mentioned “that person” in front of Rumi, careful not to disturb the recovering girl.

Meanwhile, Shiraishi Akira’s concern for Rumi was becoming more apparent.

During kendo club practice, he spent increasing amounts of time coaching her. Even when there was nothing to say, he would quietly sit beside her.

By this point, not only the first-year students but also upperclassmen were aware that Shiraishi Akira had indeed fallen for Rumi.

Reactions varied—heartache, envy, helplessness, and disappointment—but it was the male club members who were most affected. Many began regretting not making a move on the sweet and innocent girl sooner.

Given Shiraishi Akira’s talent and standing, most believed it wouldn’t be long before the kendo club saw the emergence of a couple that everyone would envy.

Kazumi noticed several casually dressed students exiting the kendo club building and knew practice had ended.

Closing her novel and slipping it into her bag, Kazumi began waiting for Rumi to appear.

It didn’t take long before Rumi came into view.

Walking up to Kazumi, Rumi apologized lightly, “Sorry, practice ran late because the club was announcing the participants for this year’s interschool competition.”

“Is that so?” Kazumi wanted to ask whether Rumi was among the chosen participants but hesitated. If the answer was no, the question might only make her feel worse.

Before she could say more, Rumi smiled and said, “My name wasn’t on the list this time, but don’t worry. I don’t mind. I’ll work hard and aim for the next competition.”

Watching her act as though it didn’t bother her, Kazumi felt a pang of sorrow.

She knew Rumi couldn’t possibly be indifferent.

From middle school through high school, Rumi had always been a key participant in kendo tournaments. While Rumi understood that her current condition wasn’t suitable for competition, being left off the list would undoubtedly hurt her.

Thinking of this, Kazumi felt an unexpected wave of resentment toward the kendo club.

Avoiding the topic, Kazumi said, “Let’s head back.”

“Okay.”

Just as they were about to leave, a male voice called out from behind.

“Rumi.”

They turned to see Shiraishi Akira walking toward them, dressed in a white shirt.

“Hello, Shiraishi-kun. Is there something you need?” Rumi asked.

As he approached, Shiraishi Akira nodded politely at Kazumi before addressing Rumi.

“I bought two movie tickets. Would you be interested in going with me this Sunday?”

Hearing this, Rumi froze, staring at him with a bewildered expression.

Beside her, Kazumi, who had also heard the question, frowned deeply.

Among her brother’s friends, Kazumi’s impression of Shiraishi Akira was comparatively better. He wasn’t as frivolous and superficial as Yoshikawa Jiro, nor as shallow as Takeda Eijun. He was usually quiet, and although this gave him an air of maturity, it also made his demeanor somewhat admirable.

Moreover, a man who wasn’t overly outgoing would typically come up with some ambiguous excuse the first time he asked a girl out, providing an easy way to retreat if rejected. However, for him to ask so directly whether a girl would go on a date with him showed considerable courage.

If Shiraishi Akira had asked someone else, Kazumi might have admired this straightforward approach. But since the subject was Rumi, an inexplicable surge of aversion toward him arose within her.

As though oblivious to the contrasting expressions of the two, Shiraishi Akira handed a movie ticket to Rumi and said, “If you’d like to go, I’ll wait for you at the cinema entrance. If you don’t want to go, just call me to let me know, okay? I’ve written my number on the back of the ticket.”

Completely at a loss, Rumi turned to Kazumi with a pleading look for help.

Kazumi gave Shiraishi Akira a deep glance before gently nodding at Rumi.

“I… I understand,” Rumi muttered as she numbly took the movie ticket.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Goodbye,” Rumi reflexively said as she watched him depart.

Once he was out of sight, Rumi immediately grabbed Kazumi’s hand and asked, “Kazumi, what do I do now?”

Smiling, Kazumi replied, “This is a good thing. Let’s take our time to think it over when we get back.”

“But—”

“Let’s go.” Kazumi tugged her along, leaving the scene.

※※※

“You’re saying Shiraishi Akira invited Rumi to a movie?” Takeshima Shinobu exclaimed in shock.

“It’s just a movie, not a public proposal. Is it really something to fuss over?” Kazumi replied calmly.

“But it’s a date! So Shiraishi Akira likes Rumi? How come I never noticed before?”

“There are plenty of things you don’t know, and they’re not worth discussing. Also, could you lower your voice? Yanagi Mayu is still reading in her room.”

“Do you think Rumi will go?” Takeshima Shinobu asked, her gaze fixed on Kazumi.

“She said she doesn’t want to, but she’s too embarrassed to refuse outright. She’s hoping I’ll help her turn him down.”

“I see…” Takeshima Shinobu sighed, a hint of disappointment in her expression.

“What’s this? You seem to want her to go.”

Takeshima Shinobu thought for a moment and said, “Honestly, I think Shiraishi Akira is a good person. He seems much more mature and reliable than Yoshikawa or Takeda.”

“I’m just worried he might bore Rumi to death.”

“That’s not fair to Shiraishi Akira,” Takeshima Shinobu retorted. “Just because he’s reserved around us doesn’t mean he’s the same way with Rumi. Besides, I don’t think he’s the type to be unfaithful.”

Kazumi smirked. “Apart from obvious playboys like Ashiro Hideyuki and Ogata Yasuda, many men who juggle multiple relationships don’t seem unfaithful at first glance. If people’s true natures were that easy to discern, no one would ever be deceived. And besides, many men aren’t unfaithful simply because they lack the opportunity to be.”

“But I can guarantee you that Shiraishi Akira isn’t that kind of man.”

“Oh? So you’re interested in him? Fine, I’ll arrange an opportunity for you tomorrow.”

Takeshima Shinobu said solemnly, “Kazumi, why do you lose your usual composure whenever something involves your brother? You know very well that he already has Miss Naoko as his fiancée. Do you really want Rumi to keep waiting endlessly for something that will never happen?”

Kazumi froze for a moment and then fell silent.

The room became completely quiet.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kazumi said softly to Takeshima Shinobu, “Shinobu, I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing,” Takeshima Shinobu replied, feeling a little embarrassed at receiving an apology from her close friend for the first time.

After another pause, Kazumi sighed lightly and said in a low voice, “You’re right. I haven’t truly considered Rumi’s perspective. For so long, apart from Rumi, I found it hard to accept any other girl getting close to my brother. To me, Rumi isn’t just a younger sister. Conversely, I’ve also been stubbornly unwilling to let any man approach Rumi, except for my brother.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “But Miss Naoko’s appearance completely disrupted everything. At first, I truly resented her. But later, I found myself unable to hate her. How could anyone bear to hate a woman like her?” Kazumi sighed again as she finished.

Takeshima Shinobu remained silent, quietly observing her.

“I can now understand why my brother chose to make such a decisive, almost ruthless, decision to wake Rumi up and even avoid meeting her. He’s right. If the situation were to drag on any further, the harm to Rumi would only deepen. I was always afraid that Rumi would be hurt by learning the truth, but in reality, hiding it only made things worse.”

Takeshima Shinobu stood up slowly and sat down beside Kazumi, silently taking her hand.

Kazumi gripped her hand tightly, looked up, and said, “Don’t worry, I know what to do now. Even though I don’t particularly like that guy, I’ll encourage Rumi to try getting to know him. But if he dares to mistreat Rumi, I won’t let him off easily.”

When Kazumi said the last sentence through gritted teeth, Takeshima Shinobu couldn’t help but laugh. It was only now that she realized her usually sharp and composed friend had such an unexpectedly endearing side.

※※※

There were still two days until Sunday, but in those two days, Shiraishi Akira truly understood what it meant to be restless.

Ever since he handed the movie ticket to Rumi, he had been waiting for a call he didn’t actually want to receive.

By midnight, the call still hadn’t come. This meant that, so far, Rumi hadn’t refused his invitation.

Shiraishi Akira, a typically quiet and reserved young man, wasn’t the type to shout and celebrate like Yoshikawa or Takeda when something excited him. However, that night, he couldn’t sleep.

The next day, Saturday, he didn’t step out of his apartment. Instead, he continued waiting for the call he dreaded.

If Yoshikawa had known that Shiraishi Akira had been torturing himself by waiting the entire day for a rejection, he would probably have suggested that Shiraishi Akira seek psychiatric help.

At half-past midnight, Yoshikawa, who had gone to bed early after a tiring day, was abruptly shaken awake.

Half-asleep, he opened his eyes to see a man smiling at him.

Startled, Yoshikawa screamed and jumped out of bed.

The smiling man calmly said that he had made a lot of noodles and invited Yoshikawa to join him.

Even after the man left his room, Yoshikawa wasn’t entirely sure if the person was really Shiraishi Akira.

※※※

From a distance, she could already see the cinema.

Imagining the upcoming meeting with him, she felt an overwhelming urge to turn around and leave. But she couldn’t do that—she had already made a promise.

She couldn’t understand why Kazumi and Takeshima Shinobu were so insistent about convincing her to come to this meeting.

Kazumi was relatively gentle about it, talking to her for a while and then leaving it at that. But Shinobu had been so serious—almost stubbornly insistent—that she attend. Her expression made it clear that if she refused, Shinobu wouldn’t let it go.

Even Kazumi didn’t side with her, so in the end, she had no choice but to agree.

Still, now that she was about to meet Shiraishi Akira, she had no idea what to say to him.

Frowning slightly, Rumi mulled over these thoughts as she walked toward the cinema.

Even in a crowd, he spotted her immediately.

Though she wore only a simple, elegant dress, the girl herself was like a natural pearl, exuding a gentle, unassuming radiance—not dazzling, yet impossible to overlook.

What impressed him even more was that she wasn’t late, unlike many other girls. This punctuality was an admirable trait. Far too many girls believed it was natural for men to wait for them, but such confidence often made it difficult for them to find someone who genuinely cared. They didn’t understand that mutual respect is the foundation of relationships; just because someone likes you doesn’t mean you should take them for granted.

When she was about 100 meters away from the cinema’s entrance, Rumi noticed Shiraishi Akira waiting for her.

The moment she saw him, she felt a surge of awkwardness. Once again, she wanted to turn around and leave.

She managed to walk up to him and, in a low voice, said, “Hello, Shiraishi-kun.”

“The movie’s about to start. Let’s head in,” Shiraishi Akira said with a smile.

“Oh, okay.” Hearing his calm and friendly tone, Rumi couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Since it was Sunday, the cinema was packed with couples. Almost every pair was carrying snacks like popcorn, fries, or soda.

It was then that Shiraishi Akira realized he’d forgotten to ask if Rumi wanted any snacks.

With the staff’s help, they found their seats.

As soon as they sat down, Shiraishi Akira asked, “Do you want any snacks? I can go get some for you.”

“No, thank you. I don’t feel like eating,” Rumi replied.

Shiraishi Akira could tell she wasn’t just being polite, so he stayed seated.

This made him even happier, as he wasn’t fond of people eating noisily during movies. Back in high school, he had once gone to the movies with a girl, and all he remembered afterward was the sound of her crunching on fries throughout the film. He couldn’t recall anything about the movie itself.

What Shiraishi Akira didn’t know was that Rumi’s habit of not eating snacks during movies came from her occasional outings with ‘him’ and Kazumi. Since he only watched science fiction or horror films, losing a round of rock-paper-scissors often meant enduring those genres. Watching graphic scenes of gore and violence tended to kill anyone’s appetite. As a result, Rumi developed the habit of not eating during movies.

When the movie started, Rumi simply watched the screen quietly.

Glancing at her focused expression, Shiraishi Akira couldn’t help but smile.

After leaving the cinema, Shiraishi Akira asked, “Did you like the movie?”

“It was good, but the ending was a bit tragic,” Rumi replied.

Shiraishi Akira chuckled and said, “There’s a newly built theme park up ahead. Want to take a walk there?”

Rumi nodded.

Before long, they arrived at the park, called Jurassic Park. It was filled with various large dinosaur models and animatronic dinosaurs.

When buying tickets, Rumi insisted on paying for her own. Shiraishi Akira had no choice but to let her.

Once inside, Rumi was astonished to see dinosaur models towering six or seven meters, and even some over ten meters high.

When Rumi saw the animatronic dinosaurs that could move their heads and walk, her eyes widened in amazement, though she didn’t exclaim aloud.

“They’re so adorable. If only they were real,” she said wistfully, gazing at a nest of animatronic baby dinosaurs “hatching” from their eggs.

Shiraishi Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at her innocent remark.

By the time they left the theme park, it was around 5:30 PM. Naturally, Shiraishi Akira invited her to dinner. Rumi initially wanted to decline, but remembering Shinobu’s insistence that she stay for dinner before leaving, she nodded and agreed.

They found a nearby restaurant and sat down, but Rumi appeared a bit uneasy. The restaurant was filled with couples chatting intimately, which made her feel out of place. Although there were also many couples at the cinema earlier, the dim lighting during the movie had kept her from noticing.

Sensing her discomfort, Shiraishi Akira opened the menu and asked, “What would you like to eat?”

“I don’t mind.”

“How about steak?”

“Sure.”

After ordering for both of them, Rumi said, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

“Go ahead.”

Watching her hurried steps, Shiraishi Akira smiled wryly. She was still so tense.

However, less than two minutes later, Rumi returned looking visibly anxious.

“Shiraishi-kun, have you seen my necklace?” she asked urgently before even sitting down.

“What necklace?”

“It’s a crescent-shaped necklace.”

“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen it. Could it be in your apartment?”

“No, that’s impossible. I wear it every day. I’m so sorry, I need to go now.” With that, she rushed out of the restaurant in a panic.

“Rumi, wait!” Shiraishi Akira tried to call after her, but she had already bolted out the door.

Left with no choice, Shiraishi Akira asked the waiter to cancel their order before following her.

※※※

“What? You’re asking me to babysit that little girl?” Kuang Dao glared at him.

Lei Yin replied seriously, “Not babysitting. I’m asking you to teach her swordsmanship.”

Hearing Lei Yin use the word “ask,” which was rare for him, Kuang Dao gave him a sidelong glance. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”

Lei Yin cursed, “Don’t be ridiculous. If I could do it myself, would I even be asking you? She’s slowly recovering now, but if I show up, it’ll undo all the progress we’ve made. She’s lost confidence in herself, and she needs someone like you—straightforward and tough—to guide her in swordsmanship.”

Kuang Dao scoffed. “Tch, you’re always roping me into these pointless tasks.”

“I’m not asking you to train a peerless master. Just help her regain her previous level. Besides, you’ve seen her potential firsthand. Who knows? You might even want to take her as a disciple.”

“Bullshit! I’m used to living freely without ties. Taking on a disciple would be way too much trouble.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Make sure to go to her place tomorrow. I’ll have someone drive you there.”

“Damn it, you’re always dragging me into your messes. You really live up to your reputation as a shameless old ghost.”

“Stop whining already.”

“Hah, looks like I hit a nerve,” Kuang Dao said smugly.

Lei Yin was about to retort when his phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at the number on the screen, he picked up the call.

After hanging up, his brow furrowed deeply.