Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Episode 47: The Last Forward March

Nagawa City, Afternoon.

Sunlight spilled across the marble tiles and the neatly stacked books and documents on the desk. The spotless office was filled with a faint fragrance. It was unclear whether the scent came from the room’s incense or the woman before him.

“You did well this time,” Sachiyo said with a smile.

“It really was exhausting. Please spare me next time,” the Novelist replied languidly as he sprawled on the sofa.

Sachiyo stared helplessly at the rude brat who had completely made himself at home in her office, but to little effect.

“I’m truly sorry. However, even I didn’t expect an accident like that to occur. To think that the Niwa family’s heir would be targeted with revenge at his own birthday party, then end up falling from the rooftop and becoming a human vegetable…”

It was quite the understatement.

Sachiyo had previously mentioned Miki Yu and Miki Haruko. But aside from that, she didn’t seem to know the details. It appeared the news of Niwa Daizo’s serious injury from the car accident had been suppressed, just as Miyagi-san said.

“Hey, Sachiyo…”

“Call me Nogami-sensei.”

A fountain pen was thrown his way.

The Novelist caught it deftly.

“I’m not talking about Niwa Takahito. Didn’t you ask me to pay attention to Ogiwara-san? What was the reason for that? Can you tell me now?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Because she has likely lost her objective now. I suppose she didn’t expect someone else to beat her to it.”

…What did that mean?

He furrowed his brow.

–“No matter what, Ogiwara wouldn’t be so cruel as to target a cripple, right?”

Hey now.

“Sachiyo, do you mean that…”

“How rude. By the way, did you really not notice? Ogiwara’s parents…”

Sachiyo raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

“Oh my, that’s not good. I shouldn’t have said that to you in the first place. In the end, it’s just my personal conjecture and doesn’t count for much.”

Her face showed regret as if she had let something slip, but a sly, fox-like smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Leaving almost no room for thought, the Novelist quickly sat up from the sofa.

“Excuse me, Nogami-sensei. I need to leave school for a bit.”

“Go ahead. I’ll put in a leave request for you.”

The vixen replied with an unsurprised smile.

Rather than thinking, his body moved first. His mind was clearer than ever before.

…

The young man quickly left the office.

Sachiyo truly hoped he could accomplish something.

As a teacher, she held expectations for him as a student that she ought not have.

“Ought not, indeed. However, that is what those above are capable of.”

After the Novelist left, Sachiyo quickly grew bored. She walked over to the sofa, slightly deformed from where he had been lying, and flopped face-first into its softness. Just like that, she fell gracelessly into slumber.

*

Asayama Private General Hospital.

Having visited a certain doctor here in the past, he deftly made his way upstairs after inquiring about the room number. On the third floor landing, he nearly collided with a short-haired girl in a school uniform.

“Class Rep? Why are you here… oh right, Niwa-kun is also hospitalized here?”

The Novelist, who had reached out in time to steady her, quickly shifted his gaze to the depths of the hallway.

“Ah… yes. I came to visit him,” Itou Maho replied softly. She seemed to be in decent spirits. Perhaps she had adjusted her state of mind.

“How is his condition?”

“…Not very good. He may remain in a comatose state for decades to come.”

With her head lowered, her expression was hidden.

“I see. But medical advances are constantly being made. There’s a chance he could be cured in the future.”

Spouting platitudes of comfort, the Novelist prepared to leave and continue upstairs.

“Um—”

Class Rep spoke up hesitantly behind him.

“…What is it?”

The Novelist turned his head to find her wearing an odd expression. Beyond the sadness at someone’s misfortune, she seemed uneasy and nervous.

“In Liang-kun’s eyes, are Niwa-kun and I… the same type of person?”

“Why do you ask? Ah…”

Come to think of it, he had arbitrarily considered these two “good people” in the past. No, not just him—everyone probably thought that way.

The Novelist pondered for a while.

“It may not be my place to say this. But Class Rep, although you’ve always been polite to me, you’ve also maintained a cool, distant attitude, right? I think that’s a good thing.”

“Huh? Wh-what do you mean?”

Class Rep seemed a bit startled.

“Is it because Liang-kun has that kind of fetish? Being treated coldly by girls makes you happy instead…”

Where did you learn that from?!

“If that’s the case, I-I’ll keep working hard…”

No need for that!

“…It may just be my personal bias. Giving equal kindness to everyone—isn’t that the same as not caring about anyone? I don’t think it’s right to rank people’s importance based on closeness. But it’s not a bad thing to treat those you care about differently from strangers.”

The Novelist thought for a moment and decided it was best to end this by playing dumb.

“Also, Class Rep is a beautiful girl. That’s the decisive difference. As a boy, I absolutely think this way.”

He said with a straight face.

“Oh… th-thank you.”

Itou Maho’s cheeks flushed red as she seemed a bit pleased.

–Please retort first!

“Well… anyway, I have something to take care of, so I’ll be going.”

“Okay.”

Class Rep nodded, then asked with a smile:

“Are you going to see Ogiwara-san?”

…

…What?

The Novelist widened his eyes in surprise.

“Do you… know something?”

“J-just a guess.”

Startled by his serious tone, the girl stammered a reply.

“A guess?”

Her face even redder than before, Class Rep nodded in embarrassment.

“Um… I took Liang-kun’s words to me to heart. So now, even when faced with troubling situations, I try to ‘keep thinking it through.’ And then…”

In other words, she had deduced it just from that? Was she actually the detective here?

“Well then, do your best, Liang-kun,” Class Rep said with a very Class Rep-like gentle smile, encouraging and affirming him.

“Please take care of Ogiwara-san.”

*

Afterward, the Novelist headed for the stairs while Class Rep prepared to go home. As they parted, the girl energetically made a “fighting” gesture at him, mouthing “good luck.”

“Thanks,” he mouthed back.

By the way, Class Rep was so cute. He really wanted to date her!

Moreover, with her good personality, even if she rejected his confession, he probably wouldn’t feel too sad… No, she might not reject him at all. Just kidding, there was no way it would be that easy no matter how you looked at it.

Maintaining the pleasant mood from her encouragement, he made his way to the destination. His footsteps finally came to a halt before that private hospital room, surrounded by several bodyguards.