Talk

A few hours later

Sumire decided there was only one way to fix Yuhi-sans insecurities, so she came over to see the source of the problem. She came over to Nagawa Sano's place.

The moment Sano entered the room, she flinched. He seemed startled to see her but walked over. "I saw your message, but.."

'Why did he get here so quickly?' This is so unfair! No Sumire, don't back down.

"Did you just get here? It was raining."

"San I-"

Sano parted her bangs to feel her forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you have to be careful. Do you lack medicines? It is hard to get anything these days."

"San--"

"Hmm?"

"I'm hungry."

Sano chuckled. "I'll make a meal for you."

Sumire awkwardly nodded as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and led her inside.

'I need to talk to him properly.

I don't want Yuhi-san to make that face again.'

..

'He made food for me.' Sumire looked at the table full of food and sighed. He isn't making this easy, is he? Ever since she returned, she has not spoken or met up with him once. She had so much going on. He was the last person that came to mind.

It was only when the situation with Zane worsened did she remember him. But even then, she did not speak to him directly.

"Why aren't we eating in the dining room?"

"Since you will have a hard time talking." Sano put two bottles of alcohol down.

"I don't need to get drunk to talk--"

"But you will."

Sumire kept her head lowered. How does she say this? It is not like they are in a relationship, so for her to say, let's end this is strange. Maybe she ought to work out what their current relationship is first.

"Sano?"

"It was darling last time."

Sumire flinched. Geh, is he actually going to use that against her?

"I think I know why you came here, but before that, can I ask you something?"

"Uh, I suppose?" Sumire felt very confused. She didn't understand the current situation.

"Do you remember?"

She awkwardly nodded, and Sano sighed. "I see. I wondered why you didn't come to see me and dodged me for an entire year."

"I've been busy."

"Fixing your relationships with others. But I guess I am low on your priority list?"

Sumire could not miss Sano's pained tone and flinch. Why is he behaving this way? Surely he understood when she left abruptly like that she was uncomfortable? She didn't contact him at all in the past year since she returned and only recently sent indirect messages.

But why does this person still look at her with the same eyes as he did back then? How can a person love another person so much even after they are treated badly?

Before she left and disappeared for seven years, she cut him off in the harshest way possible. But this person still likes her a lot. This is no good. At this rate, he will never be able to move on.

They are already at this age; if he does not move on then, he will be alone forever. No matter how badly he treated her in the past, he does not deserve such a lonely fate.

Her thoughts broke off when he edged closer to her.

"Sumire," Sano said softly as he cupped her cheeks. "Please don't say it."

It never occurred to her that he would understand what she wants to say before she even says it. Back when they dated, he did not understand even the most simple things about her.

"But it must be painful for you." She mumbled.

"It does hurt a lot," Sano admitted. "I am in agony every day."

"Then—"

"But Sumire, what hurts me more is you ignoring me and not being able to see you. The past year since you returned, I refrained myself from going to you because I understood the situation. When you left that night several years ago, I knew I must have frightened you.

You didn't even wait for me to wake up so I can explain. You went on a journey for Kanagawa Rens sake, but you ended up more in love with Yuhi and yet slept with me when you got amnesia."

Sumire bit her lip. "After I woke up and ran away, I gradually started to remember what had happened. At first, I thought you took advantage of me, but the more I remembered, the more I understood something. Initially, you didn't want to do anything with me."

"I was searching for a way to return you to Terashima, I genuinely was. The place Terashima ended up hospitalized was my hospital. I was not his doctor in charge, but I received reports, I knew how bad his condition was."

"But I suppose something happened?"

Sano nodded. "The reason you got separated from Kain Ryuuji, I tried to investigate why. When I learned who chased you two that day, I decided it would be better for me to shield you. That was why when you slowly regained your senses and started to talk, I told you I was your husband. It was the best way to shield you."

Indeed during that situation, she would have found it very strange living with a man who has no relation to her.

"Why did you touch me?"

"Sumire, it was you—"Sano trailed of and chose his words carefully. "You were the one who initiated it. Maybe it was because you felt lonely or something, but you started it."

"You could have pushed me away."

"But I love you."

Sumire froze for a moment when she heard him say those words. This was the second? No, the third time she heard him say the word love. Back when they met each other again when she first went to Tokyo, he endlessly pursued her but never said the words I love you. He kept saying that he wanted her back and that he liked her a lot, but he never used the words I love.

This person is truly betting everything on this moment. But even if he does, in the end, nothing will change between them.

"If the person you love is right in front of you, naturally, you would want to touch them."

"Why do you remember that too?"

"It seems you have an issue about me remembering things about you."

Sumire looked away. "If you behave this way, it will be hard for me."

"Hard, huh? When you cut me off seven years ago, you didn't hesitate."

"That's because of the situation." Sumire trembled at the memory. "That day, Hino died because he came with you. Why did you take him to such a place?"

At the memory of their mutual friend, Sumire struggled to keep a brave face. Yes, the main reason she dodged him after returning was this. How could she forget the day where she lost yet another dear person? It was already enough for her to lose Ichiko Daiki after the reporters cornered her let alone Hino too.

"Hino liked you."

Sumire froze when she heard Sano say those words.

"Are you saying—"

"It was for you, Sumire, the reason we went to that place."

She genuinely felt sick then. It felt like her insides were burning, and the sound of her heartbeat turned rapid.

"I discovered a means to get rid of your Queen of darkness powers without killing you. But it meant walking into the lion's den. People were not captured during that war because they did not get directly involved in the fight. Those people were the ones who continued to make trouble even after the fight ended.

They were also the reasons why the reporters chased you the way they did. After I learned this, I had to get rid of them myself. It was because I did not give sufficient information about them to get arrested back then that they ended up causing trouble, so I tried to go alone."

Sano did not have to say the rest. She could guess what happened.