Chapter 29
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Her shocking statement left me speechless.
“It must have been about three years ago. Of course, at the time, I was in the second year of secondary school. I wasn’t old enough to be entrusted with a job. I wanted to look good, so I called them my secretary then, but… more accurately, them being my personal bodyguard is the correct term.”
“Well, why would someone like that…. on me?”
“… Probably because he’s still obsessed with me.”
Obsessed with Tojo-san?
Does that mean he still intends to be Tojo-san’s bodyguard?
“I had confidence in my own discernment skills from back then. I would casually ask to see a project proposal that my father had talked about and guess what would be a hit. Because I could tell who, amongst the new graduates looking to join the company would grow at an alarming rate, I got praised by people around me for having such skills…”
“Then―”
She lowered her eyes and continued her words.
“Father offered me a secretary for my birthday, and I chose Kosuke Kadokura, Father’s secretary at the time.”
“!”
“He was a really good man. He never made a single mistake in scheduling, communication, or anything else, and he was also a professional escort with military-style training. Father, even for his daughter, seemed to regret such choice.”
Even with my lacking brain, I could see what was coming next.
Seeing my face as if she knew I had guessed, Tojo-san nodded once.
“Haruyuki-kun, it seems like you already guessed it. He has… changed. No, to be precise, he was originally that kind of person, but he cleverly concealed it. I had less experience back then, and I couldn’t see through him.”
From there, the story went something like this.
Kadokura, who became Tojo-san’s secretary and bodyguard, took care of her from that point on.
That is, to the point of being overprotective.
Hino-san joined the company when Tojo-san began to feel abnormal.
When she was secretly escorted by Hino-san, just in case, and when he found out, Kadokura went berserk.
In the end, he apparently tried to attack Tojo-san on her way to school.
“‘You chose me, so I’m the only one who can be around you.’ Kadokura pushed me to the ground and told me so. If Asahi hadn’t saved me then, I would’ve been…”
“Fuyuki-sama…!”
Hino-san supported Tojo-san, who trembled as she wrapped her arms herself.
Her usual dignified self and sometimes innocently smiling-like-a-child self was nowhere to be found.
“You chose me―”
What a sentence to put someone in a bind.
You could say they are no longer curse words.
It’s the worst thing you can do as if to try avoiding the blame and putting it on someone else for it.
“Hino-san, what happened to that man after that?”
In order to give Tojo-san a break, I threw the question in Hino-san’s direction, although I felt sorry for her.
She seemed to sense this, and without hesitation, she spoke back.
“Kadokura got taken away by the police after I subdued him. After the trial, he got charged with assault, imposed a restraining order against him and put a fine.”
According to her, the other party’s lawyers managed to avoid the charges of the intent for a sexual assault, making it a sexual assault charge, and settled on a less severe assault charge.
In fact, she mentioned that the part where her hand was on his neck while he was being wrestled down got taken up in court as quite a large part.
Hino-san told me what had happened up to that point with regret.
“A restraining order is not something that just fades away, is it?”
“Yes. So, should he ever come see her in person, we can call the police to deal with him.”
Hearing this, I felt a little relieved, but in the end, I realized that it would be meaningless if he harmed her before the police arrived.
If the other person approaches you, even prepared to be caught, is it possible to deal with them―?
“… Sorry, I think I’ve calmed down by now.”
Tojo-san, who had been silent until then, looked up.
The damage done to her is immeasurable by me, although she appears to have the same expression as usual.
“It was definitely the worst thing that happened to me in the seventeen years I’ve lived… but not everything was bad.”
“It… was?”
“Yes. Because of that failure, I was able to meet Haruyuki-kun.”
She smiled as usual and told me so.
What does that mean? I have no idea.
“I already told you that a classmate asked me for a ‘friend fee’, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yeah….”
“It happened just after the incident.”
“I really became apathetic that day and walked home from school without even an umbrella, even though it was pouring outside. From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted it to go away, and if it had been any worse, I might have just disappeared somewhere like that.”
“… So far, it doesn’t look like I’m involved at all.”
“Fufu, the only thing relevant is right after this.”
“Eh?”
“I was stumbling along in front of the station when a boy held out an umbrella to me.”
“You don’t mean that was me?’
“Yes. It was Haruyuki Inamori, a junior high school student at the time.”
―I don’t remember at all.
I’ve been told her silver hair is natural, and I’m sure she had a noticeable hair colour at the time.
I’ve lent umbrellas to people in need once or twice, and I don’t remember every single one of those things, but as for meeting Tojo-san, I don’t think I could have forgotten.
“I don’t think it can be helped how you don’t remember. Haruyuki’s parents died not long after.”
“Ah…”
I see. It’s true that I was much more upset back then too, and I’ve been so busy since my parents’ accident that I didn’t even have time to remember many of the events in junior high school.
I’m half-convinced, but you could say that not remembering in itself is not a bad thing.
“At that time, a strange feeling grew in me when I quickly accepted the umbrella you held out to me. I was on the verge of hating myself, and suddenly a stranger was kind to me. From that moment on, I could see that life wasn’t all bad, and it became much easier to continue! I didn’t expect to see you again in high school, though.”
Saying this, Tojo-san forced a smile.
“I was going to keep it in my heart as a fleeting memory, but I was reunited with you again. Besides… if I’m not mistaken, you were in a more difficult situation than I was, but you haven’t changed at all ever since the time you gave me the umbrella… so I can’t help but like you.”
“… Tojo-san.”
“I respect Haruyuki-kun from the bottom of my heart. I want to support you all the way. This part of me hasn’t changed at all since that time when I fell in love with you.”
She looks up and smiles kindly.
When I saw her, my heart jumped louder than ever before.
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Her shocking statement left me speechless.
“It must have been about three years ago. Of course, at the time, I was in the second year of secondary school. I wasn’t old enough to be entrusted with a job. I wanted to look good, so I called them my secretary then, but… more accurately, them being my personal bodyguard is the correct term.”
“Well, why would someone like that…. on me?”
“… Probably because he’s still obsessed with me.”
Obsessed with Tojo-san?
Does that mean he still intends to be Tojo-san’s bodyguard?
“I had confidence in my own discernment skills from back then. I would casually ask to see a project proposal that my father had talked about and guess what would be a hit. Because I could tell who, amongst the new graduates looking to join the company would grow at an alarming rate, I got praised by people around me for having such skills…”
“Then―”
She lowered her eyes and continued her words.
“Father offered me a secretary for my birthday, and I chose Kosuke Kadokura, Father’s secretary at the time.”
“!”
“He was a really good man. He never made a single mistake in scheduling, communication, or anything else, and he was also a professional escort with military-style training. Father, even for his daughter, seemed to regret such choice.”
Even with my lacking brain, I could see what was coming next.
Seeing my face as if she knew I had guessed, Tojo-san nodded once.
“Haruyuki-kun, it seems like you already guessed it. He has… changed. No, to be precise, he was originally that kind of person, but he cleverly concealed it. I had less experience back then, and I couldn’t see through him.”
From there, the story went something like this.
Kadokura, who became Tojo-san’s secretary and bodyguard, took care of her from that point on.
That is, to the point of being overprotective.
Hino-san joined the company when Tojo-san began to feel abnormal.
When she was secretly escorted by Hino-san, just in case, and when he found out, Kadokura went berserk.
In the end, he apparently tried to attack Tojo-san on her way to school.
“‘You chose me, so I’m the only one who can be around you.’ Kadokura pushed me to the ground and told me so. If Asahi hadn’t saved me then, I would’ve been…”
“Fuyuki-sama…!”
Hino-san supported Tojo-san, who trembled as she wrapped her arms herself.
Her usual dignified self and sometimes innocently smiling-like-a-child self was nowhere to be found.
“You chose me―”
What a sentence to put someone in a bind.
You could say they are no longer curse words.
It’s the worst thing you can do as if to try avoiding the blame and putting it on someone else for it.
“Hino-san, what happened to that man after that?”
In order to give Tojo-san a break, I threw the question in Hino-san’s direction, although I felt sorry for her.
She seemed to sense this, and without hesitation, she spoke back.
“Kadokura got taken away by the police after I subdued him. After the trial, he got charged with assault, imposed a restraining order against him and put a fine.”
According to her, the other party’s lawyers managed to avoid the charges of the intent for a sexual assault, making it a sexual assault charge, and settled on a less severe assault charge.
In fact, she mentioned that the part where her hand was on his neck while he was being wrestled down got taken up in court as quite a large part.
Hino-san told me what had happened up to that point with regret.
“A restraining order is not something that just fades away, is it?”
“Yes. So, should he ever come see her in person, we can call the police to deal with him.”
Hearing this, I felt a little relieved, but in the end, I realized that it would be meaningless if he harmed her before the police arrived.
If the other person approaches you, even prepared to be caught, is it possible to deal with them―?
“… Sorry, I think I’ve calmed down by now.”
Tojo-san, who had been silent until then, looked up.
The damage done to her is immeasurable by me, although she appears to have the same expression as usual.
“It was definitely the worst thing that happened to me in the seventeen years I’ve lived… but not everything was bad.”
“It… was?”
“Yes. Because of that failure, I was able to meet Haruyuki-kun.”
She smiled as usual and told me so.
What does that mean? I have no idea.
“I already told you that a classmate asked me for a ‘friend fee’, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yeah….”
“It happened just after the incident.”
“I really became apathetic that day and walked home from school without even an umbrella, even though it was pouring outside. From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted it to go away, and if it had been any worse, I might have just disappeared somewhere like that.”
“… So far, it doesn’t look like I’m involved at all.”
“Fufu, the only thing relevant is right after this.”
“Eh?”
“I was stumbling along in front of the station when a boy held out an umbrella to me.”
“You don’t mean that was me?’
“Yes. It was Haruyuki Inamori, a junior high school student at the time.”
―I don’t remember at all.
I’ve been told her silver hair is natural, and I’m sure she had a noticeable hair colour at the time.
I’ve lent umbrellas to people in need once or twice, and I don’t remember every single one of those things, but as for meeting Tojo-san, I don’t think I could have forgotten.
“I don’t think it can be helped how you don’t remember. Haruyuki’s parents died not long after.”
“Ah…”
I see. It’s true that I was much more upset back then too, and I’ve been so busy since my parents’ accident that I didn’t even have time to remember many of the events in junior high school.
I’m half-convinced, but you could say that not remembering in itself is not a bad thing.
“At that time, a strange feeling grew in me when I quickly accepted the umbrella you held out to me. I was on the verge of hating myself, and suddenly a stranger was kind to me. From that moment on, I could see that life wasn’t all bad, and it became much easier to continue! I didn’t expect to see you again in high school, though.”
Saying this, Tojo-san forced a smile.
“I was going to keep it in my heart as a fleeting memory, but I was reunited with you again. Besides… if I’m not mistaken, you were in a more difficult situation than I was, but you haven’t changed at all ever since the time you gave me the umbrella… so I can’t help but like you.”
“… Tojo-san.”
“I respect Haruyuki-kun from the bottom of my heart. I want to support you all the way. This part of me hasn’t changed at all since that time when I fell in love with you.”
She looks up and smiles kindly.
When I saw her, my heart jumped louder than ever before.
Her shocking statement left me speechless.It must have been about three years ago. Of course, at the time, I was in the second year of secondary school. I wasn't old enough to be entrusted with a job. I wanted to look good, so I called them my secretary then, but more accurately, them being my personal bodyguard is the correct term.Well, why would someone like that. on me? Probably because he's still obsessed with me.Obsessed with Tojo-san?Does that mean he still intends to be Tojo-san's bodyguard?I had confidence in my own discernment skills from back then. I would casually ask to see a project proposal that my father had talked about and guess what would be a hit. Because I could tell who, amongst the new graduates looking to join the company would grow at an alarming rate, I got praised by people around me for having such skillsThenShe lowered her eyes and continued her words.Father offered me a secretary for my birthday, and I chose Kosuke Kadokura, Father's secretary at the time.!He was a really good man. He never made a single mistake in scheduling, communication, or anything else, and he was also a professional escort with military-style training. Father, even for his daughter, seemed to regret such choice.Even with my lacking brain, I could see what was coming next.Seeing my face as if she knew I had guessed, Tojo-san nodded once.Haruyuki-kun, it seems like you already guessed it. He has changed. No, to be precise, he was originally that kind of person, but he cleverly concealed it. I had less experience back then, and I couldn't see through him.From there, the story went something like this.Kadokura, who became Tojo-san's secretary and bodyguard, took care of her from that point on.That is, to the point of being overprotective.Hino-san joined the company when Tojo-san began to feel abnormal.When she was secretly escorted by Hino-san, just in case, and when he found out, Kadokura went berserk.In the end, he apparently tried to attack Tojo-san on her way to school.You chose me, so I'm the only one who can be around you.' Kadokura pushed me to the ground and told me so. If Asahi hadn't saved me then, I would've beenFuyuki-sama!Hino-san supported Tojo-san, who trembled as she wrapped her arms herself.Her usual dignified self and sometimes innocently smiling-like-a-child self was nowhere to be found.You chose meWhat a sentence to put someone in a bind.You could say they are no longer curse words.It's the worst thing you can do as if to try avoiding the blame and putting it on someone else for it.Hino-san, what happened to that man after that?In order to give Tojo-san a break, I threw the question in Hino-san's direction, although I felt sorry for her.She seemed to sense this, and without hesitation, she spoke back.Kadokura got taken away by the police after I subdued him. After the trial, he got charged with assault, imposed a restraining order against him and put a fine.According to her, the other party's lawyers managed to avoid the charges of the intent for a sexual assault, making it a sexual assault charge, and settled on a less severe assault charge.In fact, she mentioned that the part where her hand was on his neck while he was being wrestled down got taken up in court as quite a large part.Hino-san told me what had happened up to that point with regret.A restraining order is not something that just fades away, is it?Yes. So, should he ever come see her in person, we can call the police to deal with him.Hearing this, I felt a little relieved, but in the end, I realized that it would be meaningless if he harmed her before the police arrived.If the other person approaches you, even prepared to be caught, is it possible to deal with them? Sorry, I think I've calmed down by now.Tojo-san, who had been silent until then, looked up.The damage done to her is immeasurable by me, although she appears to have the same expression as usual.It was definitely the worst thing that happened to me in the seventeen years I've lived but not everything was bad.It was?Yes. Because of that failure, I was able to meet Haruyuki-kun.She smiled as usual and told me so.What does that mean? I have no idea.I already told you that a classmate asked me for a friend fee', didn't I?Oh, yeah.It happened just after the incident.I really became apathetic that day and walked home from school without even an umbrella, even though it was pouring outside. From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted it to go away, and if it had been any worse, I might have just disappeared somewhere like that. So far, it doesn't look like I'm involved at all.Fufu, the only thing relevant is right after this.Eh?I was stumbling along in front of the station when a boy held out an umbrella to me.You don't mean that was me?'Yes. It was Haruyuki Inamori, a junior high school student at the time.I don't remember at all.I've been told her silver hair is natural, and I'm sure she had a noticeable hair colour at the time.I've lent umbrellas to people in need once or twice, and I don't remember every single one of those things, but as for meeting Tojo-san, I don't think I could have forgotten.I don't think it can be helped how you don't remember. Haruyuki's parents died not long after.AhI see. It's true that I was much more upset back then too, and I've been so busy since my parents' accident that I didn't even have time to remember many of the events in junior high school.I'm half-convinced, but you could say that not remembering in itself is not a bad thing.At that time, a strange feeling grew in me when I quickly accepted the umbrella you held out to me. I was on the verge of hating myself, and suddenly a stranger was kind to me. From that moment on, I could see that life wasn't all bad, and it became much easier to continue! I didn't expect to see you again in high school, though.Saying this, Tojo-san forced a smile.I was going to keep it in my heart as a fleeting memory, but I was reunited with you again. Besides if I'm not mistaken, you were in a more difficult situation than I was, but you haven't changed at all ever since the time you gave me the umbrella so I can't help but like you. Tojo-san.I respect Haruyuki-kun from the bottom of my heart. I want to support you all the way. This part of me hasn't changed at all since that time when I fell in love with you.She looks up and smiles kindly.When I saw her, my heart jumped louder than ever before.
