Onee-chan no Midori-kun 6
Last chapter, Midori had said to Sui that he had something he wanted to talk to her about.
They are now in a playground together, but neither of them are talking. Sui wonders to herself what's up and why she's sitting on a swing next to Midori.
She then gets startled when Midori suddenly goes, "Say, Sui-chan-"
Midori asks Sui what she likes about playgrounds.
Sui: Hah?
Midori: As for me, though I like the swing, I like those too.
Sui tries to imagine the current Midori riding on the spring rider (and bewilders herself, hahaha 😂).
Sui: It doesn't suit you. (Also, adults can't ride on it.)
Midori: Heh- If it were the young and little me, it would have been such an adorable sight to see me playing on it, for sure-
Sui imagines a young Midori riding on the spring rider and reluctantly thinks to herself with a blush that it indeed would be pretty cute. However, she quickly tells herself not to think about it.
Trying to change the subject, Sui asks Midori what he called her over here for - surely it wasn't to talk about playgrounds. Midori gets taken by surprise a little, then reverts to his troubled expression.
After a moment's pause, Midori asks if Sui still remembers what happened when he was at her house while she was unwell.
Sui remembers how Midori had princess-carried her and blushes instantly. However, in tsun style, she vehemently denies remembering anything.
Midori can tell from her response that she actually does remember.
Midori thinks worriedly, 'I was still hoping for the slim chance that it was just Sui-chan talking gibberish in her dreams.’
He recalls Sui’s words to him:
“It’s precisely because you’re always so kind to me, that I’m growing to like you more.” (Chapter 4)
“You don’t need to treat me so kindly anymore.” (Chapter 5)
Midori thinks, ‘Because of me, you said things that you never planned to say, and because of me, you even had to say that.’
Midori then thinks about how he always seems to be causing Sui agony. He gets up from his swing and goes to squat in front of Sui.
Midori apologizes to Sui. "I'm sorry, Sui-chan. I am unable to respond to the feelings that Sui-chan has for me."
Sui looks confused, but Midori continues, “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider Sui-chan’s feelings towards me, and did so many things to make you frustrated and anxious.”
Sui is having all sorts of thoughts running through her head: ‘...Eh, wait a minute. What feelings? Sorry for what? Why? What is he saying…?’.
She then recalls Ayame telling her that she tends to have lapses in memory when she falls ill.
Gripping the swing handle tightly, Sui asks Midori.
Sui: ...Did I say something strange back then…?
Midori: Huh? No, it wasn’t anything strange. You said that it was because I was always so kind to you, that you were growing to like me more, or something like that…
Midori then realizes that Sui may not remember that particular incident and asks, 'Eh? Sui-chan, do you not remember that..."
Midori notices Sui's shocked and blushing expression just before she dashes out of her swing and runs away.
Midori calls out after her, asking her to wait, but Sui is panicking.
She thinks, ‘This is the worst. I was never supposed to say it. I was absolutely not supposed to reveal these feelings. Why did it turn out like this?’
Sui does not get very far when she trips over while running and falls flat on her face. Midori, who was chasing after her, is shocked and asks if she's all right.
Sui thinks to herself that with this, there's no way she can get out of the situation anymore. Midori tries to talk to Sui, but he's interrupted by a passing mother and child (they are actually Azuki and her child, characters from Meguro Amu's previous work - Te wo Tsunagou yo).
The child is pointing out to his mother that there's someone (referring to Sui) lying on the ground, and asks if she is pretending to be a caterpillar.
Midori asks Sui to get up, but notices that she's trembling with embarrassment.
Sui narrates that the situation is simply horrible in every way. However, Midori does something surprising.
He lies on the ground next to Sui, saying, "Double caterpillar." This surprises the mother and son, who remark while walking away:
Azuki: It’s true, they are playing as caterpillars.
Son: I want to play, too.
Azuki: Let’s play at home, then.
Son: Will Papa play, too?
Azuki: He will. (It's an odd game, though...)
After the mother and child leave, Midori gets up and asks Sui again if she can stand up. Sui blushes, thinking to herself about Midori, ‘You didn’t have to embarrass yourself along with me.’
A short while later, Sui is seated on a bench and her knees are visibly scratched. Midori tells her to wait while he wets his handkerchief. However, Sui answers that it's unnecessary. “Didn’t I already mention it before? Don’t be kind to me.”
Midori looks like he doesn't know how to answer to that, but then tells Sui, "This is just a matter-of-course thing, so let me do it.”
He then leaves to wet his handkerchief while Sui waits, absorbed in her thoughts.
Sui thinks, ‘...Somehow, thanks to the fall, I've calmed down a little. Somehow, even now, I can only remember vaguely, but it seems that without realizing it, I had voiced my true feelings. I must have been at my wits' end.’
He sits down next to her while Sui thinks to herself that he's being a nag.
Midori apologizes again, going, “...Anyway, I’m sorry, Sui-chan. Earlier, I assumed that you still remembered, so it ended up with things turning out this way.”
Sui does not attempt to console him at all, responding with a frown, "You are absolutely right...!!"
Sui (huffing): Thanks to you, I got rejected even though I never planned to say it. I even fell down. It’s all Midori-kun’s fault that today has been such a disastrous day!
Midori: Uwuh- You’re right… Me too. I've agonized over this so much that I even had trouble eating.
Midori also explains that he forgot to update his Instagram account for his hamster, smashed laboratory test tubes because he was spacing out, got chided by his friends for sighing, and even walked into a lamp post.
Looking at Sui, Midori says, "It's like my head has become a Sui-chan-fest."
However, Midori suddenly catches himself and makes a facepalm, apologizing again. He then mutters to himself, "You're the one bothering Sui-chan a million times more, so don't say that."
Midori says that whenever he's with Sui, his thought processes and behavior all become that of a spoilt brat.
He turns to Sui and gives her a thumbs up, saying that it's her turn now.
Midori tells Sui, "Any complaints or insults you have, I will accept them no matter how much there is.”
Sui is speechless for a moment, but then she smiles to herself and thinks that Midori is indeed a fool.
She starts her series of complaints.
"I’m super pissed off. You're insensitive, always so quick to treat me like a fool, treating me like a kid even though you don’t even act like an adult yourself - you’re already an adult, yet you’re so tactless, just giving that jolly smiley face all the time.”
Midori is taken aback by the string of insults and wonders out loud if Sui really likes him, but Sui adds, "You even ended up spending so much time worrying so seriously about someone like me."
Sui gets up from the bench and walks a few steps forward, then says to Midori, "...I really hate you, Midori-kun."
Turning around to face him with a tearful laugh, Sui ends off with, "I really hate you!"
Midori can only respond with a pained expression, while Sui narrates: It's uncontrollable, but after all, I am definitely never going to say that I like you.
Midori also stands up, apologizing to Sui once again. He gives her a pained smile and says, "Thank you, Sui-chan."
Sui smiles back at him with tears in her eyes.
Sui continues to narrate: I wonder why, but today is the first time I’ve felt so thoroughly at peace ever since I fell for Midori-kun.
She answers Midori's thank you with, "You dummy."
Later, Midori asks Sui if she can still make it for the train, and she answers that she will if she leaves now. Sui smiles up at Midori, then suddenly has a thought.
Sui holds up her pinky towards Midori. She explains, “Let’s take what happened today to our graves. This is a pinky promise that the next time we meet, we will still interact as usual!”
“Even though I feel bad towards onee-chan for hiding this from her, it will only add unnecessary stress to her if we tell her about it. Also, I know that onee-chan won’t blame me for it, but the fact that she won’t will make me feel even worse.”
“...Regardless, the bottom line is that I simply don’t want onee-chan to know about this! This is my own selfish request! When we meet again next time, if you behave strangely, you’ll definitely have to drink a thousand needles!”
Midori looks reassured and convinced, hooking his own pinky with Sui’s to seal the promise and saying that he understands.
Later, as Sui is walking on her own, she recalls the things that Yuzu said (in Chapter 5) about treasuring her feelings.
Tearing up, she narrates: Even though this was a love that was doomed to fail from the start, am I also allowed to do that? I'd like to cherish these feelings, too.
Sui later arrives home and Mochi is at the front door, greeting her.
Momo runs towards Sui excitedly. While Sui remarks that Momo is unusually home early today, Momo tells her that she's been chosen to be part of the TV series ‘Kazuya and Miwa’ (the drama that they were watching in Chapter 1).
Sui is amazed and congratulates her. Momo replies that it feels like a dream, as she will be able to be part of the production process for the TV drama that she enjoys so much.
Sui then asks if this means that Momo will be even busier from now on. Momo answers, “Yes, I will– I’m still in the lowest position after all.”
Looking concerned, Sui calls out to Momo.
“...Um– Say, onee-chan. You should occasionally remember to show some concern to that Midori person too, okay?”
When Momo goes, “Hm?”, Sui continues, “Even though it can’t be helped when you’re so busy with work, that person really loves onee-chan, so if you neglect him for too long, Midori-kun will get lonely and cry, you know.”
Momo looks at Sui and answers with a small smile, “...Yeah. You’re right.”
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