Oregairu: Reappearance

Chapter 14: Walking away

"Fueh?"

She sounded confused, surprised, she looked at me clueless, as though she didn't know how to answer that, as if she assumed I'd never ask.

Though, now her cheeks were flushed with red and she gave a perplexed look.

As if I wasn't supposed to say that. Maybe I was right. I thought I was trespassing, and even if I didn't know where the line was, even if I wasn't sure if I'd crossed it, still, I had this lingering sense that I did, maybe that was something I shouldn't have done.

"Eh-ah, no...uh...sorry..."

I tried to clear that statement, to erase it, yet I myself had no clue as to how to do it.

"No, it's nothing to apologize for"

She said it as if I'd done no wrong, and she only offered a gentle smile in return, nevertheless, I was still too flustered to know what to do.

She then held her hands at the rail, and in front of her was a clear amber sky. She gazed upon it with fondness.

"Nothing unexpected, we all lived our normal lives, just as planned"

At that moment, she started to talk,, I compelled myself to listen entirely, as I drew my eyes to her face, and to her lips.

"I went overseas on some occasions, though it never went on for long...I've finished all that was necessary, I was prepared, I worked under my father...though..."

She stopped herself, and as she finished her sentence, I felt the sentiment of a pained memory, and right below, I heard the sound of something being rubbed.

She squeezed her wrist slightly, as would someone with a vexed expression.

"As Nee-san frequented her overseas travel, it appeared more and more as though mom intended to hand me her position"

Her distressed face showed, with someone as competitive as her, she must've resented. A victory she won by default.

To her, surely, that would've been a meaningless win.

Her ideals and her bottomless pride had made her into this, as she couldn't possibly take it in any other way besides a face to face confrontation.

This wasn't the demeanor I'd expect from her, yet I wasn't thinking of that at that moment.

I merely stared at her, unknowing of what to say, of how to act.

Eventually, her expression started to dissipate, and clearly, I could see a different face.

"Though, it doesn't matter now..."

I replied nothing, and I only waited for her next words.

"Since I've managed to do it"

"Do what?"

I just blurted out, with no care, merely wanting to know her answer.

.

.

.

"I've managed to acquire it"

She uttered under her breath, it was so soft, and it was so low, yet I heard it clearly, so much so that it might be the only sound that I heard.

Even with the wind making her hair flutter yet again, even with the leaves being sprinkled in-between this space, all I saw was her, all I heard was her.

Her lovely smile was all I could focus on, and she was giving off that sense of self accomplishment, an air full of pride and fulfillment.

She only gave a warm look, that was all, still, I couldn't look away, not even for a second, it felt like I didn't want to.