Ichinose Honami: I Wish We'd Met Sooner (Continued)

"Huff... huff... you don't look like you're alright." Shuichi Kanda said, slightly out of breath, looking at Ichinose was squatting in the corner with her head buried between her legs.

Although his body has basically recovered, the anaerobic exercise of several dozen meters just now still left Shuichi Kanda slightly out of breath.

Hearing Shuichi Kanda close to her, Ichinose looked up and began to sob softly.

"Um, I was saying..."

Just as Shuichi Kanda was about to say something, he heard the sound of students talking not far away.

Shuichi Kanda immediately shut up, then stepped into the elevator, closed the doors, and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

Finally, the elevator started running before the others arrived.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked back. Ichinose, as if she had suffered a huge blow.

The elevator quickly reached the fourth floor. After Shuichi Kanda grabbed Ichinose's wrist and pulled her up from her squatting position without saying a word.

Hopefully, nothing strange will spread tomorrow—like Class D student Shuichi Kanda Class A leader Ichinose Honami cry in the elevator.

"Come with me for a moment."

Thanks to her Shuichi Kanda might not have been able to pull her up.

However, this was clearly Shuichi Kanda, because Ichinose was in a daze at the moment, and seemed completely out of it. She was just following Shuichi Kanda unconsciously.

He pulled Ichinose all the way back to the dormitory, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief after Shuichi Kanda closed the door.

Although Shuichi Kanda is not afraid of rumors, if this kind of thing gets out, it will probably affect Ichinose's reputation, and then Shuichi Kanda will also be in trouble.

After locking the door, Shuichi Kanda turned around, about to say something to Ichinose, only to find that Ichinose was already squatting on the edge of the bed, just like in the elevator.

This time, however, she didn't bury her head completely in her legs; instead, she left her eyes out, staring blankly at the wooden floor.

Looking at Ichinose like this, Shuichi Kanda suddenly felt a little guilty for some reason.

Could it be that giving a gift might just ruin the recipient's life?

He also discovered his own weakness: he couldn't stand seeing women cry in front of him, especially if they cried because of him.

It has been said that a girl's tears are very powerful.

Shuichi Kanda didn't believe it before, but now he does.

"Um, Ichinose?"

Shuichi Kanda tentatively called out to the other person, and Ichinose looked up at Shuichi Kanda.

"Why?"

Why?

Why?

I'd like to know why too!

Why did you send me that thing?

Ichinose Shuichi Kanda was taken aback by Ichinose's words. So that's what she wanted to ask?

"Because when we went to the pool during summer vacation, I noticed that you seemed to care a lot about the hair clip that appeared on Kamuro's head, so I guessed that you might like it or something."

In this situation, Shuichi Kanda had no choice but to answer honestly, though he was only half honest. He already knew that the hair clip had a special meaning for Ichinose, but he didn't expect Ichinose to react so strongly, and to such a negative way.

During summer vacation?

Ichinose seemed to vaguely remember that Kamuro had three such silver-white hair clips on his head, and later Shuichi Kanda even put them on his own head.

Was my reaction really that obvious back then?

"Then, why did you give me a gift?"

"I've troubled you quite a bit with the Student Council stuff." Seeing that Ichinose seemed to have recovered a bit, Shuichi Kanda secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "I originally planned to give it to you as a birthday present, but your birthday seems to have passed long ago, so I decided to give it to you after this exam."

If your class wins, congratulations! If you lose, consider it a consolation.

Birthday gift...

Upon hearing this word, Ichinose's memory seemed to return to that time.

"Kanda- san... there's something I want to tell you... would you like to listen?"

Ichinose's breathing was a little rapid, her hands were clenched tightly together, and they were even trembling slightly from the force.

His voice was filled with unease; though it was a request, it sounded like a plea to Shuichi Kanda.

What could possibly have happened to make you so humble...?

Seeing Ichinose's Ichinose, Shuichi Kanda didn't refuse and nodded. "If you think I'm worthy to listen."

"Kanda... classmate, of course you are qualified."

Ichinose muttered something under her breath, then looked up at Shuichi Kanda.

"... I... I'm guilty... I... stole something."

The expected look of disgust did not appear; Shuichi Kanda did not even show the slightest emotional reaction after hearing Ichinose's words.

He simply nodded slowly, indicating that he was listening.

Then, Ichinose began to recount what happened to her when she was in her third year of middle school.

"My family is a single-parent family with only my mother. I also have a younger sister who is two years younger than her. Although we are not wealthy, I don't think it's unfortunate."

Another one...

Katsuragi's parents are both dead, Ayanokoji only has his father, Ichinose's parents are both dead, and now there's Ichinose who only has her mother... What's going on with this school...?

Moreover, everyone in this group except for Ayanokoji has a younger sister...

"My mother works while raising two children, so it's always been very hard for her. That's why I've always thought that I would start working after graduating from high school, so that my mother could have an easier time and my younger sister could have a happier life."

When her Ichinose's face softened.

"But your mother definitely won't agree, right?"

Ichinose Shuichi Kanda a strange look and nodded.

Come to think of it, how could a mother who loves her daughter possibly let her outstanding daughter go out to work after graduating from middle school?

As for why Ichinose's mother believed she loved her... it's simple: Ichinose said her life wasn't unhappy.

"Just as I hope my sister can be happy, my mother also hopes I can be happy."

Therefore, Ichinose studied hard to use her scholarship to ease her mother's burden, and her younger sister was also very well-behaved and sensible, never asking for anything or going out to play with her friends, and she endured it all.

However, human patience has its limits. Before Ichinose's birthday, she, a first-year junior high school student, wanted something for the first time: a hair clip used by her favorite celebrity.

Upon hearing this, Shuichi Kanda immediately realized that what Ichinose wanted was the hair clip he had given to Ichinose Honami.

To satisfy her daughter's little whims, Ichinose's mother endured her discomfort and worked many extra hours, which eventually led to health problems and hospitalization.

And naturally, Ichinose didn't get the hair clip she wanted either.

"I still remember it to this day, I remember my mother crying and apologizing to my younger sister in her hospital bed, and my sister scolding her for that kind of mother... She cried and shouted for the hair clip she had been looking forward to..."

Shuichi Kanda could understand this, because he remembered that when he was a child, he also had things he desperately wanted. He would cry and throw tantrums, cursing and yelling, and then his parents would discipline him.

Ichinose's younger sister was, after all, only a first-year junior high school student at the time, 13 years old?

A breakdown can happen in an instant; if a mentally mature adult is like that, how much more so a child?

Moreover, it was something Ichinose's mother had promised her, and sometimes, adults who don't keep their promises can make children very resentful.

As for understanding...

Hehe!

How many people can understand their parents at the age of 13?

At least Shuichi Kanda couldn't.

"... Seeing those two people like that really hurt me. I wanted to make my sister happy and I didn't want my mother to continue being sad, so after school on my sister's birthday, I went to the department store."

At this point, Ichinose let out a trembling breath.

"At that time, the feelings I had must have been dark... What does it matter? It's just for my sister to do something bad once. After all, there are so many people in this world who do bad things, I'm not the only one."

We've been enduring this all along, there's no need to be blamed, and even if we did, we'd be forgiven... I kept hypnotizing myself like that, and then I stole the hair clip my sister had always wanted."

I'm sorry, Ichinose. I know it's bad to daydream while you're talking, but I really can't help but think of Masumi.

"No one noticed, and I just took that hair clip home and gave it to my depressed sister... Because it was stolen, it wasn't wrapped at all, so it was a very rough gift, and it couldn't compare to the gift Kanda gave me today."

At this point, Shuichi Kanda's face fell. "You don't need to tease me at a time like this, do you?"

"But my sister was very happy... Seeing her smile, I felt my guilt lessen for a moment, but that was wrong. Afterwards, the guilt gradually increased."

Ichinose gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Seeing Ichinose like this, Shuichi Kanda really wanted to call Kamuro Masumi over and show her what a normal reaction is after stealing something.

"Because it was stolen, I told my younger sister not to tell Mom. But, as if she wanted to prove her older sister's love for her, she went to visit Mom wearing the hair clip."

"My mother couldn't possibly be unaware that her daughter had done something wrong. That was the first time I saw my mother truly angry. She slapped me hard and then took the gift away from my sister... My sister, who was crying incessantly at the time, probably didn't understand why. She couldn't possibly have imagined that her older sister had stolen it."

"Then, my mother, who was still hospitalized at the time, pulled me into the store and knelt down to beg for forgiveness... Seeing my mother kneeling and apologizing, I realized for the first time how heavy the weight of the sin I had committed was. No matter what excuses I made, a crime will never be condoned."

"In the end, the people in the store didn't hand me over to the police, but the commotion spread quickly. I shut myself off, and spent the last six months of my junior year of high school entirely in my room."

"Later, my homeroom teacher told me about this school. Tuition and living expenses were waived, and graduates could work anywhere. That's why I came here, wanting to start over from scratch."

So that's how it is. This is Ichinose's past, the past she's been hiding all this time.

Because she stayed at home for half a year, the school assigned her to Class B.

After hearing Ichinose's story, Shuichi Kanda didn't know how to comment.

He didn't think he should blame Ichinose.

Stealing is certainly wrong, but Shuichi Kanda still felt that Ichinose's mother had gone too far.

Generally speaking, if this happened in one's past life, most parents would take their child to the store and tell the clerk, "The child didn't know any better and secretly took something, and I didn't notice."

In the end, you either pay the money or return the item, apologize to yourself and then have the child apologize, and that's basically how the matter ends.

Shop staff generally won't choose to call the police, since it's better to avoid trouble.

Of course, some parents of unruly children will pretend nothing happened, and their children will then think they did the right thing, and then...

Anyway, the idea of kneeling down in front of someone in front of your child, like Ichinose's mother did, is something you shouldn't even think about, let alone do.

Perhaps it's due to different national circumstances, but even so, Shuichi Kanda doesn't think Ichinose's mother did the right thing.

If all that's required is for Ichinose to return the items, or for Ichinose to kneel down and apologize, then Ichinose probably wouldn't stay home for half a year.

Perhaps she felt she hadn't raised her daughter well and should apologize, but the end result was that Ichinose almost broke down.

To be honest, Ichinose really has a strong heart to not feel any emo after staying indoors for half a year because of this.

"I have a question," Shuichi Kanda suddenly said, "Ichinose, is your natural personality the type to be very friendly to others?"

"Ah?"

Shuichi Kanda's question left Ichinose bewildered. Why did he suddenly ask that?

"You're not trying your best to treat others kindly because you feel guilty for stealing and hurting your mother and sister, are you?"

Shuichi Kanda's words stunned Ichinose.

Am I one of them?

"I... I don't know." Ichinose shook her head with a wry smile. "Kanda- kun, are you disappointed?"

"Disappointed? Why?" Shuichi Kanda tilted his head. "If I'm disappointed in you because you stole something, then you're underestimating me. I don't think you're some kind of saint... No, even saints make mistakes, right?"

"Although you did make a mistake, your mother apologized to the shop assistant on your behalf, and the shop assistant forgave you. Furthermore, the incident didn't cause any actual loss, so I think the matter can be left at that point."

"To be honest, what really shocks me is that you'd stay home for half a year because of something like this."

Hearing Shuichi Kanda's merciless sarcastic remark, Ichinose habitually let out a fawning laugh.

"Haha, sorry."

"So why are you apologizing again?" Shuichi Kanda stood up. "You wait here, I'm going out for a bit."

"Huh?"