Interlude: Sou and Midori’s War of Words (Sou’s POV)
MIDORI had dropped by my place for the first time in months. I hadn’t accepted it yet, but she was my fiancée on paper. Turning her away without meeting first wasn’t an option.
She was as fickle as they came and didn’t even think to make an appointment before visiting. Her visits were always abrupt. Not that I’d hang around at home if I knew she was coming.
“Sou! Be grateful I’m here for you!”
“I never wanted you here,” I retorted within a fraction of a second, but instead of throwing her usual hissy fit, Midori started grinning from ear to ear.
Honestly, it was creepy.
“Oh, are you sure you want to say that? If you aren’t nice, I won’t give you your present from Japan.”
That was the first I’d heard about Midori leaving England for a trip to Japan. It was a surprise and nothing more. Sure, I missed Japan, but what I really wanted wasn’t sold in any store.
“Don’t need it. Is that all you came for?”
I paid her the bare minimum courtesy. There shouldn’t have been any reason for her to stick around any longer. As I was about to stand, my breath caught in my throat. Midori had begun lining up photos on the table across from me.
Normal photos wouldn’t have elicited any reaction from me. But those photos were of the only girl I could never forget for even a moment.
There Mashiro was, smiling bashfully as Midori rubbed cheeks with her.
There Mashiro was, drinking from the same can of juice from two different straws with Midori.
The lightly dressed Mashiro had matured a great deal since I last saw her, and she shone radiantly in every picture.
“How did you—”
“I told you! I went to Japan.”
The worst-possible scenarios crossed my mind when I saw the triumphant smirk on Midori’s face. Before I knew it, I was on my feet, slamming my fists into the table between us.
“What the hell did you think you were doing?! Don’t go near Mashiro!” I yelled in an attempt to threaten her, but Midori only snorted at me.
“Don’t you for one minute misjudge me. If I’m going to do something terrible, I’m going to do it directly to you. Mashiro was an incredibly goldig girl,” Midori said, tossing in German. “I completely fell for her. I adore her.”
“…Hah?” I uttered, failing to comprehend what she was saying.
Midori triumphantly waved her tablet in front of me. “I can give you the data I saved on here if you promise to never do anything to tick me off again.”
“Huh? What’re you going on—”
“Good morning.”
I heard a familiar voice from the tablet when Midori pressed the play button. Time seemed to stop. I gasped for air. Wait. This voice is—it can’t be her…could it be her?
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s morning now.”
“Hurry and wake up.”
“Have a great day today!”
My hands instinctively curled into fists. Midori’s eyes went completely round at my overreaction. She seemed like she had something to say, but I had no time for her.
In a matter of seconds, my heart was filled with maddening love.
Mashiro. Mashiro, Mashiro, Mashiro!
I want to see you.
I want to see you so bad. I’m having such an overblown reaction just by hearing your voice.
I felt like I might lose my mind if I let down my guard.
“…Fine. I promise. Give me that tablet,” I finally managed to squeeze out in a hoarse voice.
Midori shrugged as if she didn’t know what to do with me. “I didn’t think you had it this bad for her. Why’d you come out here if you love her that much?”
“That has nothing to…” I stopped myself from finishing that snide sentence. Because I saw the sly grin spreading across Midori’s face as she waved the tablet in front of me.
Pushing down my desire to groan, I told myself, you want Mashiro’s voice files, don’t you? You want them bad enough, right?
“She told me to. She said it’s best if I went to Germany. I’ve already been rejected by her.”
“Hmm…I see… Looks like you can actually hold a real conversation with me.” Her provoking tone rubbed me the wrong way, but I swallowed my pride. “Well, I don’t mind. A promise is a promise. I’ll give you the pictures of just Mashiro and her voice clips.”
“Thank you,” I genuinely thanked her. I couldn’t care less what Midori’s motives were. Mashiro’s pictures and her soft, sweet voice were the ultimate reward for me right now.
Midori looked disgusted, even though she was the one who offered it to me. “Don’t be so happy. You’re throwing me off my game.”
“Huh? What’s your game here anyway?”
“…Please, please don’t become a stalker and stab Mashiro when you return to Japan.” Midori’s face was more serious than I’d ever seen it. It appeared her remark about liking Mashiro wasn’t a barefaced lie.
I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t feel possessive of her, but I’d never think of destroying Mashiro’s happiness. I just want to watch over her. I don’t care what position I’m in, as long as I can see her happy. That’s all I want.
“I’ll disappear before I make Mashiro scared of me. I’ll do anything to make it so she can live out her life with a smile.”
“Heavy! Hold on, am I even talking to the Sou I know?! Are you some sorta elaborate clone?!” Midori shuddered. She quickly set about preparing to go home and left.
Heavy, huh? She got me there. But I’m dead serious.
The second I dropped my eyes to the pictures on the table, Midori vanished from my thoughts. My eyes locked on the picture of Mashiro sitting in front of the piano, and I decided to put that picture in my wallet.
Two and a half years left to go. Time wouldn’t flow as fast as I wished it would, but I was working hard not to disappoint Mashiro the next time I saw her.
Mashiro always brightened my life, even when we were far apart. That fact alone brought me the greatest joy.