Chapter 499: Chapter 491: This is the Real Me
The phone screen Little Arrogant handed over was filled with missed calls from Shirakawa Sawahei, along with unread notifications from LINE. Shirakawa Sawahei glanced at the phone, and in his mind, he seemed to picture the girl alone downstairs, watching the snow fall with an indifferent gaze.
The girl in front of him had a delicate and cold profile. She walked forward with an expressionless face, seemingly really planning to go back as she initially said. Shirakawa Sawahei, having no other choice, gave a wry smile and said, "You said from now on, you won’t be complaining... that’s not necessary, right?"
"Do you guess if anyone has ever flaked on me before?"
"..."
No need to guess; guessing this would definitely be an insult to intelligence. Shirakawa Sawahei stubbornly struggled, "But you still want an explanation, right?"
"Hmm? What are you talking about? Didn’t you just give me an explanation?"
"Did I?"
"You said a lot of things have happened recently, so you were late."
"That doesn’t count."
"Whether it counts or not is for me to decide."
"But you waited for a long time anyway."
"I was watching the snow scene."
"Just right downstairs at my place."
"You can interpret it that way."
Shirakawa Sawahei reached out and took hold of Little Arrogant’s small hand.
"Either way, you still came, right?"
"Whether to watch the snow scene or wait for an explanation... Kashi, you still came."
The girl’s pace slowed down immediately upon being pulled. She didn’t turn back, nor did she shake off Shirakawa Sawahei’s hand. She continued walking forward, saying, "I just said, it’s because if I don’t directly complain the first time, there may not be another chance in the future."
"So." Shirakawa Sawahei nodded, "For me to have a chance to redeem myself, I hope you can stay for a while longer."
Miss Kaori finally stopped, she said nothing, and glanced sideways at the vending machine by the roadside. Shirakawa Sawahei noticed her gaze and naturally knew there was a bit of a breakthrough in Little Arrogant’s attitude, so he quickly walked over.
The girl watched Shirakawa Sawahei for a while, and as the snow gradually grew heavier, his figure stood in front of the vending machine for a moment, then he bent down to take out a bottle of hot drink.
In such cold weather, Hayakawa Kashi’s little hands were somewhat chilly. Shirakawa Sawahei, with the hot drink in hand, noticed from afar Little Arrogant glancing at the screen in her hand, her expression somber and looking quite subtle.
"Here."
The girl put down her phone, took the hot drink, and held it in her hands. Seeing this, Shirakawa Sawahei chuckled lightly and said, "I just went to your house."
Hayakawa Kashi, who intended to say something, frowned upon hearing this. Shirakawa Sawahei continued, "However, rest assured, I’m not here to argue that I got the location wrong... I indeed forgot about our appointment recently."
"You already said, a lot of things happened."
"Yes, ever since Kauri, a lot has been happening." Shirakawa Sawahei sighed, "I always thought I was someone who could control myself, but it turns out I’m not very good at some things."
"And what are those things?"
"Romantic feelings." Shirakawa Sawahei admitted, "So I went to ask your father."
"You asked him?"
Little Arrogant’s face suddenly showed a hint of threat: "What did you ask him?"
"I can’t make the person I like bear responsibility for me. Liking you is my issue, and it has nothing to do with you all."
"..."
"Can’t you at least react, Hayakawa Kashi?" Shirakawa Sawahei said helplessly, "I just said, I like you."
Little Arrogant looked at him directly: "But you just mentioned ’you all’."
"Them is them, but liking you is undeniable." Shirakawa Sawahei softly said, "Kashi, it seems like I’ve known you for a long time."
"Not long, not even a year."
"Yes, clearly not even a year, yet it feels like we’ve experienced so much together. I owe you many thanks. Be it the fireworks festival, the sports day, or the woodland school..."
"Reasons?"
"What reasons."
"Reasons for liking me."
"Does intelligent, cute, and independent count?"
"So you’re a face-con?"
"Sort of, I just happen to adore your type, Hayakawa."
"And also Kauri’s type?"
Shirakawa Sawahei didn’t respond, just quietly looked at her, then took her small hand, holding the bottle of hot drink together.
"I’ve always been pondering, if Kauri liked me, and I agreed to her, would you leave directly, our relationship dissolving into strangers, never to interact again... just tangled over and over, Kauri’s issue unresolved, I nearly went crazy."
"So you decided to confess to me first?"
Shirakawa Sawahei nodded sincerely, "I originally intended to wait for you to confess first before considering anything else... but it seems plans can’t keep up with changes."
Little Arrogant chuckled coldly, pursing her lips and said, "Are you sure I’ll confess to you?"
"Of course not, I’m actually not confident... but the one at the woodland school, was that you who kissed me?"
"No."
"Really not?"
"I said it wasn’t, so it wasn’t." Little Arrogant’s expression turned sharp, she said indifferently: "Have you always suspected me?"
"Nope."
"Really no?"
"I said no, so no." Following Little Arrogant’s tone, Shirakawa Sawahei retorted, "Have you been suspecting me too?"
"..."
Miss Kaori looked at him with profound eyes and sighed, "Have I been too good-tempered in your presence? Making you have some misconception about my wicked nature?"
"Actually, Kauri wasn’t wrong; I can be quite terrifying at times, especially for those who don’t know their limits."
"Nothing of that sort, rather this kind of tender arrogance and manipulation is just right."
"Let’s go to the seaside tomorrow, see SpongeBob with me."
"Don’t mention such cold jokes, Kashi... it’s December now."
"Don’t worry, it won’t freeze in December."
"I like you."
"Saying it repeatedly won’t cover up your scumbag language."
"That’s true... but I still like you." Shirakawa Sawahei said softly, "I once read a book, where a little monster used gentleness to describe this world."
"At first, I thought it was just a common idiom among Neon girls. But now, I find her description quite fitting. This world is gentle, with romantic things like wind, flowers, snow, moon, poetry, wine, tea, and flowers. But if I had to choose, among all the gentle things, I’d only choose you."
"You understand every word I wish to express, can read the desires hidden in my eyes. When I want to have fun, you’re precisely happy; when I want silence, you don’t want to talk either. The future, to many, is an elusive, intangible concept, but for me, after liking you, it’s just a painting."
"Grass is seeding, wind is shaking leaves, it’s raining outside, you’re planting flowers inside."
Little Arrogant was silent for a while, then turned her sight slightly.
"I don’t know how to plant flowers."
Just as Shirakawa Sawahei was about to say something, the girl gently took his hand, with a slight leverage, and the hot drink fell to the ground with a thud, rolling a few times before stopping in the snow.
"However..."
"Learning might not be that hard after all."
"....."
The next moment, the girl’s lips, soft as cherry blossoms, appeared in Shirakawa Sawahei’s view, and with the sweet kiss of Miss Kaori, along with the delicate snowflakes, landed on Shirakawa Sawahei’s lips. He was momentarily stunned, subconsciously wrapped his arms around the girl’s waist, hearing Hayakawa Kashi’s uniquely clear voice, though this time, it seemed to carry a hint of arrogance.
"Also, to clarify... the incident at the woodland school wasn’t me."
"This, is truly me."