Chapter 4.5
This chapter was translated by shizuumi151, and proofread by kittensparkles, yuugs, and dei-hime.
It was the first New Year since I became a student at Hakuo Academy, and a high schooler in general.
Heisuke-kun invited everyone to pay their first respects of the year in the middle of the night, so I ended up going as well. Heisuke-kun invited Okita-senpai, and I invited Ibuki-kun. And then, on that very night―
The reply I needed from Ibuki-kun never came. I tried phoning his cell directly, but he didn't pick up… As I was wondering what to do, I left my house and saw Heisuke-kun waiting for me outside.
Heisuke Toudou: "You're late, Chizuru!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Sorry I'm late. But, Heisuke-kun. I thought we were still early..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, I mean, don't you wanna go earlier?"
Souji Okita: "You just wanna go earlier so you can eat that sweet red-bean soup with mochi you like."
Heisuke Toudou: "Nuh-uh! The earlier we go, the more likely we'll get divine favor by doing so."
Hajime Saitou: "I don't think whether we arrive earlier or later makes any particular difference..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Good evening, Okita-senpai, Saitou-senpai."
Souji Okita: "Mm, good evening. Aren't you cold?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No. I'm fine."
Heisuke-kun had invited Okita-senpai and Saitou-senpai, who had also arrived. Now we were just waiting on Ibuki-kun… But even after I double-checked his phone number, the call still didn’t go through.
Heisuke Toudou: "Something up with Ryuunosuke?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I tried inviting him by text, but he hasn't replied. I can't call him, either."
Souji Okita: "I mean, if he has his phone on him, you'll be able to get in contact with him anyway. Isn't that fine, then?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Alright. If you just leave him a text telling him to come if he can, that oughta work, right?"
Hajime Saitou: "...It should. Shall we head out?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Right... Okay. I'll leave Ibuki-kun a message, then."
I texted Ibuki-kun saying that we'd be heading out first, and then we all went to the shrine.
It was late at night, and the shrine felt less solemn and more like a festival with how many people were bustling about.
Chizuru Yukimura: "It's so late at night, but there're still so many people here."
Heisuke Toudou: "What'd I tell you? You get divine favor if you come earlier."
Souji Okita: "It's because they want to pay their first respects of the year just as the New Year comes in. Although, so do we, to be fair."
Hajime Saitou: "Mm... I came to pay homage here in the middle of the night since Heisuke had invited me… But, thinking on it now, I wonder if wandering about at this late hour is a good thing after all..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Aw, Hajime-kun. C'mon, man… You're already here, arent'cha?"
???: "You lot. What're you all doing at this hour!?" Hijikata-sensei had pushed his way through the crowd towards us, his voice loud.
Souji Okita: "I can't think of what else we'd be doing other than paying our first respects of the year."
Hajime Saitou: "Hijikata-sensei! This is, uh..."
Sanosuke Harada: "They're paying their respects. It's obvious. Which is fine... You with them, too, Yukimura?" Harada-senpai appeared, following Hijikata-sensei.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, yes! I'm sorry, Harada-sensei, Hijikata-sensei!"
Toshizou Hijikata: "Haah… The others brought you here, right? Got anything to say, Heisuke?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Why me!? But, uh, you're not wrong, though."
Toshizou Hijikata: "Well, it is New Year's Eve today. I'll let you off since it's a special occasion… But head back home once you've finished up here."
Hajime Saitou: "Yes. Of course. ...Right, Heisuke?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Whaaaat?! C'mon, just lemme have my sweet red-bean soup with mochi. Seriously, my body's gonna freeze over otherwise!"
Toshizou Hijikata: "Don't stay out too late, you hear?"
Souji Okita: "Loud and clear. Although, you two don't look like you're out to pay your first respects of the year, Hijikata-san."
Toshizou Hijikata: "...Hmph. I got work to do, getting kids messing around at night back home."
Sanosuke Harada: "Helps out a ton when we're dealing with guys as reasonable as your lot." Harada-sensei demurred, looking a little serious as he spoke. "...Incidentally, have you been able to get in contact with Ibuki since the holidays have started?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I had... Actually, I invited him out today as well, but he didn't reply..."
Sanosuke Harada: "I see... So he might show up here then too, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Maybe... Um, did something happen with him?"
Toshizou Hijikata: "Nothing. When you see him, tell him to hurry back home."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Will do."
With Hijikata-sensei and Harada-sensei searching for Ibuki-kun like this, I wondered if something happened with Serizawa-san again…
Afterwards, we parted ways with the teachers. At Heisuke-kun's suggestion, we paid homage at the shrine just as the clock struck midnight. As everyone was looking upon the shrine, the temple bell that rang 108 times on New Year's Eve started chiming.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Happy New Year everyone!"
After that, as we were eating our sweet red-bean soup with mochi― I saw Ibuki-kun pushing through the crowd in front of the shrine...
Heisuke Toudou: "What's up, Chizuru?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Umm... Ibuki-kun might've arrived. I'll go take a quick look."
Heisuke Toudou: "Gotcha. We'll be by the red-bean soup place."
I left Heisuke-kun and the others, and tried heading where I could see Ibuki-kun. But I couldn't find him in the end. Was he going this way earlier...? Was I just seeing things before...? The crowd around me thinned out as I searched for Ibuki-kun, and ended up going in the direction of the shrine office. As I did, I heard someone's voice from the other side of the shrine office.
???: "What. It's not like I did anything wrong!"
‘Eh? Was that Ibuki-kun's voice...?’
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I mean, they came too, right?"
I snuck a look from the shadows of the shrine office. I was right; it was Ibuki-kun. I was about to call out to him, before someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...!? Hijikata-sensei―"
Toshizou Hijikata: "Shh. Be quiet."
I nodded without a sound at Hijikata-sensei's urging. The one Ibuki-kun was talking to was the one who had been looking for him earlier: Harada-sensei.
Sanosuke Harada: "Today's the day to pay your first respects of the year, so I’d normally let you off considering the occasion… But I can't do that in your case. You didn't say a word about where you were going. The school was contacted saying you'd been missing since this morning."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...Hmph. Serizawa-san, huh? As if the man was worried about me."
Sanosuke Harada: "No, it was from Honma-san. She was worried about you."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Honma-san...? She is a worrywart."
Sanosuke Harada: "You're not running away from home, right?"
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: ".........I didn't run away from home. I just kind of...didn't want to be in that house for a while. That's all. Even when I don't do anything, Serizawa-san's name always stalks me. It's convenient for everyone to bring it up. Despite how I always say he's got nothing to do with me..."
Sanosuke Harada: "And you want things to change? Like what?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Maybe if I went somewhere where no one had ever heard about me and Serizawa-san, if I got a fresh start... Maybe then, things would change..."
Sanosuke Harada: "You're a minor. You know you can't do that. I know a lot is said about you with regards to Serizawa-san. But that'll always happen to you. No matter where, no matter when. Even in the event that you became an adult, or you left that house. Hey. Is it Serizawa-san and that house that’re so hard for you to stand?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "......"
Sanosuke Harada: "Is it Serizawa-san's fault, then?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "That's...not it. What I hate is that the things I do are seen as me just enjoying the perks of having Serizawa-san as a parent. In the end, it's my problem..."
Sanosuke Harada: "What, you didn't know that already?"
When he said that, Ibuki-kun didn't look like he found it funny, and he didn't say anything for a while… But in the end, after he let out a little sigh, he slowly started to speak.
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Years ago... I did kendo. Before I’d realized, I’d already become ‘Serizawa-san's foster kid’ in everyone’s mind, and… After that, I quit kendo. Thinking about that time even now weighs on my chest. I was a little jealous of Toudou-senpai and the others. If I could do kendo like that, I'd like to try it again. If I did that, maybe something would be able to change."
Sanosuke Harada: "You can give it a shot."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I can't. I told Serizawa-san myself that I'd quit. I ran away... I can't say to him I want him to let me do it after this long."
Sanosuke Harada: "If you're saying Serizawa-san won't do it, then are you giving up? The one who'd be doing kendo is you, right?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "But..."
Sanosuke Harada: "Try talking about it with Serizawa-san properly. With the way you are now, doing nothing is just the same as running away. If you run into a roadblock again with that, we can put our heads together about it again, just like this......."
Ibuki-kun didn't utter a word after that, and slowly got to his feet. And then he turned his face away from Harada-sensei, stretched, and brushed off the dirt from his clothes.
Sanosuke Harada: "Right, how about we get you home, then? Honma-san oughta be worried sick."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...Harada-sensei. Thanks."
Sanosuke Harada: "What's with you, getting all meek on me outta nowhere? I'll walk you home, seeing as it's a ways away."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "It's fine. I can go home by myself," Ibuki-kun started walking as he said that. Harada-sensei tagged alongside him right after.
Sanosuke Harada: "No need to be polite about it. Let's go, then."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Wait, do you think I'm not gonna go home or something?!"
It wasn't long before I couldn't see those two in the shrine anymore.
Toshizou Hijikata: "...That took a lotta trouble."
Chizuru Yukimura: "But I'm glad. That Ibuki-kun will be going home for sure, I mean."
Toshizou Hijikata: "Alright... I'll get back to work as well. You make sure you get home, too."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Will do!"
I parted ways with Hijikata-sensei, and went back to where everyone was by the place that sold red-bean soup. For some reason, they hadn't eaten any yet, and I ate some with them on the way back home.