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Author: Inukai Anzu	Original Source: Kakuyomu	Word Count: 4425 characters
Translator: Mui	English Source: Re:Library	Word Count: 1712 words
Editor(s): Fire

“So dull.”

Early in the morning, Inazuki walked into my room. Her eyes then narrowed into a stern glare, and said so.

“Um… what?”
“It’s been a month, and there’s nothing here. This isn’t a room at all.”

A room is a room regardless. Thinking so, I looked over the interior.

A bed, a table, a cushion—that was about it. The only other things were the school-issued bag and textbooks tucked into the corner. I guess calling it dull would be an apt description, but my room at home was no different.

“Some people live with just the essentials, you know.”
“Those people choose to live that way because it’s their hobby. Your room doesn’t reflect any of your interests at all!”

She had a point.

But I had no interest in decorating my room. No matter how much I personalized it, the atmosphere wouldn’t change. Once, I filled my room with cute stuffed animals. I had never felt more lonely than I did then. In less than a month, I got rid of them all. The more things that filled my room, the more pronounced my loneliness seemed to become. Why was that?

I didn’t understand. Not understanding made me feel that being in a spacious, empty room was best.

“Let’s go check out some furniture. Let’s make this room completely your style.”

Inazuki grinned confidently.

Filling the room with furniture I liked felt like putting down roots. What would happen when I moved out? Would I leave it, or throw it away?

…No, before that—

“I don’t have enough money to buy furniture.”
“I do. I’ll treat you.”

She said it as casually as offering to buy me a cup of coffee.

So this is what it means to be rich.

Amazing. So amazing that I felt overwhelmed, losing my ability to articulate, as Inazuki seemed to shimmer with golden light. The wealth of her family was beyond my imagination. Living alone in a 2LDK apartment already confirmed she was wealthy.

“Do people even treat others to furniture?”
“Let’s just say they do. Either way, it’s decided. Today, we’re going to buy furniture for your room.”

Inazuki always said I was ignorant, but she was quite out of touch with reality herself. What kind of high school girl buys furniture for someone else? I’m not even planning to stay here forever.

I felt it would be wrong to voice such thoughts, so I swallowed them back down.

Lately, I’ve been holding hands with Inazuki a lot, so I’ve gotten rather used to her warmth. It wasn’t quite like the sun, but her hands felt as comforting as a winter blanket. That said, walking into the furniture store still holding hands made me feel restless.

“Inazuki, let’s let go of our hands. It’s a bit weird to do this inside the store.”
“But if we hold hands, you might remember things from the previous timeline.”

A buzzing sensation crept into my brain. Each time she mentioned it, my head felt like it was being hypnotized, putting me in a strange state.

Despite how bizarre her words were, I naturally accepted them. After hearing it so many times, I started to feel like maybe I really was her lover previously, which was quite strange. However, Inazuki and I didn’t seem to match.

She was a bright, cute girl adored by everyone, while I was just a lonely runaway.

Being with Inazuki made me wonder: why did she take me in that day? We used to only talk in the mornings when no one else was in the classroom. It seemed odd for her to invite me to her place where she lived alone, let alone let me stay for a month. Not that I was in a position to complain.

…Did she take me in because there really was a previous timeline?

No, I couldn’t believe that.

“Now, let’s see.”

She pulled me through the store.

Expensive-looking furniture was everywhere. Unfamiliar trendy music played, and the sunlight streamed through the glass walls. It felt more like a café, but it didn’t make me feel relaxed.

I felt out of place.

I wasn’t interested in fashion, so I wore the stuff I bought from somewhere random. If I hadn’t met Inazuki, I never would have set foot in a place like this. While this was a rare experience, I didn’t have the luxury to appreciate it.

“Inazuki, you seem used to this.”
“You’re too nervous. Your voice is shaking, and so is your hand.”

Of course I was shaking. The prices on the furniture were outrageous. There were probably one, no, two extra zeros on them.

Excuse me, staff. I think there’s a mistake here.

Not that I could say such a thing in this situation.

“Are you a rich girl or something?”
“Well, yes.”

Inazuki said it nonchalantly. My family was well-off too, but we were worlds apart.

“Should I be using honorifics?”
“No, it’s not like I’m an important person. Come on, let’s pick something.”

Holding hands and picking out furniture felt like something couples living together would do. If this were a role-play, and she had asked me to act like her girlfriend instead of talking about previous timelines, I could have played the part better.

But since she kept mentioning the previous timeline where we were lovers, I wasn’t sure what kind of face to make as we held hands. Calling it ‘liking’ felt strange. Acting like lovers doesn’t seem right either. The current Inazuki and I were just friends. We held hands and fed each other bites of cake, but our relationship wasn’t that lovey-dovey.

What she gave me did feel indulgent. It did, but was the expression she was wearing now one she would show to a lover?

Oh well.

All I need to do now is go along with her eccentric comments. I did feel like my gratitude was too insufficient compared to what she had given me. But there was probably nothing else the current me could give her.

“How about something like this? Isn’t monochrome quite fashionable?”

She pointed to a white sofa that looked like it belonged in a black-and-white photograph.

“It might be stylish… but it doesn’t suit me.”
“I don’t think that’s true. I can totally picture you looking beautiful and picturesque in a room like this.”

She said it with such seriousness that I was a bit taken aback. Inazuki was the type to be close with people. While my close friends were similar, having someone compliment me so straightforwardly was a first, and it felt ticklish.

“I like that,” I murmured. Inazuki tilted her head curiously.

“Like what?”
“I like how you compliment people with genuine words.”

Her grip on my hand tightened. She blinked in surprise, looked around, and then finally smiled.

“I see. I like it too.”
“Yeah. It’s good to openly express positive feelings to each other.”

I smiled.

Feelings don’t get conveyed if they’re not spoken. Even when they are spoken, many feelings still go uncommunicated. If they’re not spoken at all, it’s even worse. That’s why I always try to express my feelings plainly. Better to say something and risk it than regret not saying it at all. Whether the other person accepts it is something you only know after you say it.

Inazuki seemed willing to accept my words. So, from now on, I’ll express my gratitude more often. It will make life more enjoyable and happy.

“Iroha, you’re really…”
“Hm?”

Inazuki started to say something but stopped. Though curious, I continued to look around the store. As expected, a furniture store had all sorts of items: marble tables, single-slab wood tables, genuine leather sofas.

As we walked, a sudden tightness filled my chest.

Countless tables, chairs, and dishes were on display. It was as if invisible, happy families were gathered around, enjoying each other’s company. The people who come here to pick out furniture must be building such happy homes.

Just thinking about that made my body tense up.

Feeling my heart ache with envy for the invisible was utterly ridiculous. I lightly bit my lip to calm myself down.

“What’s wrong?”

Inazuki, perceptive as always, noticed my change and smiled at me.

The warm lighting seemed to make her already bright face shine even more. Her expression, full of vibrant happiness, showed that she had been raised with love and care. It was because she had lived such a happy life that she found me and, for this brief moment, injected a bit of happiness into my life.

So, I shouldn’t envy her.

I mustn’t, because the overflow of her happiness is what allows me to forget my loneliness, even if just a little. But just a bit—just a tiny bit—I couldn’t help but compare myself to her.

I smiled while feeling ashamed at how awful I was.

“It’s nothing. Wooden tables might be nice. They have a warm feel.”

What kind of furniture would suit my room? I tried to think but couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it was better to have nothing there, after all?

“Really? Hmm, but I don’t think wood suits you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hmm, I think lighter colors would suit you more. Monochrome is nice, but… I think a princess-like room would suit you too.”

I’m not the princess type.
But Inazuki seemed serious, which made me confused about her. Does she lack the ability to judge people, or is this just another one of her eccentric comments?

“A princess room, seriously? That’s going a bit too far.”
“I’m quite serious, you know. …And just so you know, not buying anything isn’t an option.”
“Ehh?”
“Come on. I’m the one paying, so just think of it as throwing money down the drain and pick something.”

After seeing those price tags, there’s no way I could be that carefree.

Inazuki was far more of a princess than I was. I could easily imagine her saying, “I’ll take everything from here to here,” in a clothing store.

Groaning in resignation, I returned to the task of choosing furniture.

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