Hello! Clannad

Chapter 6

"What's gotten into you, Hayate..?

Toya almost sounded like he was about to
cry when he spoke. It seemed like my words had shocked him.

"I don't like you either!" but Hayate seemed unfazed, menacingly glaring at me as he spoke out each word.

'He still doesn't know anything, does he? Well, he's only seven years old. Sure, I can understand!

...But I couldn't forgive him for calling me ugly.

I looked at Toya and spoke up bluntly.

"He said I'm ugly!"

"Of course, I would call an ugly ugly. Did you expect me to call you pretty?"

"Hayate, d-don't say that..."

Toya's expression now made him seem like he was about to shed a tear. He sounded like he was about to choke up.

Half of it was just to provoke him. I thought maybe he was only pretending to be nice in front of me and Hana.

But he was clearly quite flustered, and seeing that all he could say was no, I could see that it wasn't just some kind of act.

I tilted my head slightly as I organized my thoughts.

A person like him was such a rare sight, although I couldn't understand why his nephew was like that.

"Um, Hana, I'm really sorry. Hayate's father entrusted their son to me for a while. I couldn't leave him alone in the mansion, but I couldn't take him to the palace either, so..."

Soon enough, Toya started pouring out excuses, mumbling on and on.

It truly was a pitiful sight to see.

He was now hated by the sister of the girl he liked and had lost some brownie points all because of the nephew he suddenly had to take care of.

Even I would be crying if I was in his shoes.

"Well, I'm fine, Toya..."

Hana glanced down at me in the middle of her sentence.

Well, from Hana's perspective, she could've just thought that a kid could say such things, and I agreed with her.

Besides, he'd clearly grown up in a privileged environment. Being loved and raised from a young age, he probably didn't think twice before saying anything.

"I'm okay, Sis..."

I smiled brightly at Hana as I immediately blurted out my next words.

"...He's far more uglier."

"Kana...!" she called my name in a truly regretful voice.

'Why? He started it!'

Acting innocent, I rolled my eyes and spoke up again.

"I want to go inside. Ichika brought dessert! I want to eat it!"

Hearing my words, Ichika's eyes curved as he smiled and stuck his hand out toward me.

"Should we go together then, Kana? I'll grab your hand."

"Sure."

Of course, I was going to refuse right away. But, oh well.

She was always trying to grab any chance she could. I could clearly see she was trying to use the situation as an opportunity to get closer to me.

That brat was that brat, and Toya was Toya.

Even if I had told Toya that I hated him for the show earlier...

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Toya. He stood there looking so depressed, almost like someone who just fell to hell.