Zoo ⑦
We finished the interview, and by the time we arrived home, the evening sky was dyed red. I started making dinner right away, but I could not quite concentrate. I know the reason though.
“I did not think that I would be angry until now……”
Yae was nearly picked up, or rather, forcefully brought away by a man at the zoo. I saw that, and I ended up getting seriously angry for the first time in a while.
The last time I got angry was during last year’s culture festival; I ended up making the girl, whom I was dealing with, cry and because I felt guilty, my anger subsided. I no longer remember when the last time before that was, so I did not know that it was so smouldering.
No, how do I say this, I cannot understand. Why would you think of trying to pick up girls at a place like a zoo, in the first place, why would you pick up girls. I do not think that picking up girls is wrong since there are apparently also people who go all the way to marriage from it, but still, I think they ought to bear moderation mind……
“Ouch”
Perhaps because I was thinking of such things, I ended up slightly cutting my finger with the kitchen knife. I guess I should not get caught up in my thoughts while holding a knife.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, I ended up slightly cutting my finger”
Perhaps she heard my voice, Yae peeks her face in from the direction of the living room. When I answered honestly, she looked over here for a while and after that
“Come”
“Yes?”
“I’ll paste a band-aid for you”
I was told and semi-forcefully made to sit on the sofa. I can paste something like a band-aid by myself though.
My wound was disinfected and wrapped up with a band-aid by Yae, who brought the first-aid kit over. It is quite ticklish to be taken care of in this manner by Yae huh.
“Here, done”
“Thank you. In that case, I’ll make din……”
“Not yet”
“Eh?”
When I stood up, about to continue making dinner, my shoulders were pressed by Yae, and I was returned to the sofa. As I wonder what is going on and look up at Yae, Yae goes around behind the sofa……
“Nn, thanks”
“Yae?”
“Thanks for being angry for me”
Saying that, she hugged my shoulders tightly from behind across the sofa. Yae’s soft body is being pressed against my shoulders, neck and the back of my head, and my heart is slightly throbbing.
“I’m not bothered by it anymore. That’s why Kazu-kun, don’t be bothered by it either”
“……I was exposed huh”
“It’s a given since we’re always together, is what I want to say, but Mutsumi and company probably noticed as well”
“Is that so……”
It was that easy to tell huh. I wonder how irritated I was.
“In that case, I guess I have to apologise in school tomorrow”
“Uh-huh. I don’t think they’re bothered by it though”
“Those are two different stories. I guess it is to take responsibility”
I ended up disrupting the fun time. Although all the fault lies with that man, I could have just not dragged it out.
“Nevertheless, it has also been a long time since this was done to me huh”
“It’s because the last time I did it was probably during elementary school”
“It was that long ago huh”
We often do this to each other when something unpleasant happens, and our moods go down. It is delightful because my heart calms down when this is done to me.
“I can’t do it unless you’re sitting after you grew up”
“Yeah. We were about the same when we were elementary school students huh”
“Besides, Kazu-kun became mentally stronger”
“Is that so?”
Even if she says that I became stronger, it does not feel like it when I think about what happened this time around. I think I am still immature.
“Yeah”
“Is that so”
But still, I wonder why. It feels like it when Yae says it to me. It sure is mysterious huh.
“Really, thanks for helping me today. You were cool”
“You are welcome”
I had an idle chit-chat with Yae while being hugged by her for a while after that. And then by the time Yae moved away from me, my irritation for that man had already disappeared somewhere.
