A Lover’s Declaration

“Norn, come here.”

Couge called to Norn in a loving voice. Just hearing that voice made it clear how much Couge cares for Norn.

“Come here,” he invited him as he walked over to her. He wrapped the immobile Norn in his arms and rubbed his cheek against Norn’s whorls, which were below eye level.

“I’m sorry. Couge, I’m sorry.”

Norn was frozen, unable to move a muscle, and continued apologizing with the only thing that moved. He wasn’t actually crying, but I think he was crying inside.

I think it was painful for his family not to acknowledge the person he loved. After all, they were both important to Norn.

 “I’m sorry…”

“You’re so stupid, Norn. Why are you apologizing? I’m very happy because I know you’re doing your best for me.”

He pressed his lips to Norn’s forehead and tapped his index finger on the spot just below Norn’s collarbone. There should be the pendant plate that Couge gave him when he proposed to him. The plate has their private vow engraved on it.

“Hey, we promised, right? Did you forget?”

“N-No…”

“Thank goodness, if you had forgotten, I would have cried.”

“I was so nervous about proposing to Norn,” Couge said, giggling as he spoke, looking very happy, as if he was remembering those times.

 “So, you trust me, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

After releasing the embrace, Couge faced Amanda, shielding Norn with his back. Amanda was trembling and clutching her cheeks, which had turned slightly red from being pushed by Couge.

I wonder what’s going to happen next. Amanda seems pretty angry as she glares at Couge. If they start fighting, will I be able to stop them?

Both Couge and Amanda are much taller than me, so it might be better to call someone over rather than just trying to cut in line.

As I was thinking about what to do, I glanced between the two of them. Couge took a step forward and bowed deeply.

 “I’m sorry. I can’t think of anyone other than Norn anymore. Norn was always by my side when I was going through the hardest times. I can still run the shop because he was there, and I think we can continue doing this together in the future.

So please give up on me now. No matter how many times you come, this feeling won’t change.

I’m the one who needs Norn. Even if Norn is hurt because of that, I’m the one who can’t let him go. So please stop hurting Norn with your unfounded accusations.”

Couge bowed his head so low that it touched his knees, and stopped dead in that position, waiting for Amanda to speak.

Amanda glared at Couge’s whorls for a while, then bit her lip and walked over. She grabbed Couge by the collar and raised her hand.

 The loud “bang” sound made me shrug my shoulders involuntarily. That hurt. It must have hurt Couge, but it must have hurt Amanda too.

“What’s with that way of talking? You’re making me sound like the bad guy.

When I was dating Couge, I was really humiliated. He stole my lover in the middle of a date while we were walking down the street.

What’s the difference between what Norn did then and what I’m doing now? It’s the same thing!!

But Norn got Couge to protect him, and they tried to be happy together!! I don’t accept it, and I will never forgive Norn.

You two should just break up because everyone around you is against you!! Idiots!!”

Amanda ran out of the store. The door slammed open, bounced back, and slammed shut with a loud bang, filling the store with an indescribable atmosphere.

 The handprint became clearly visible on Couge’s cheek and it quickly turned bright red.

“Couge, are you okay?”

“That one hurt a bit.”

Norn hurried to the kitchen and returned with a towel to cool it down. Couge pressed the towel he had cooled with water against him. He grimaced, “Ouch!”, perhaps because the corner of his mouth had been cut by the hit.

“Aaargh, I’ve been left behind.”

Amanda’s friend Elise, who was left behind, didn’t chase after her, but instead shook her half-drunk glass of water and muttered, “Well, I expected this to happen.”

 “Amanda is cute, isn’t she? And she has big breasts. She’s pretty popular with guys.

She was pampered, and dated a lot of guys, but she broke up with them quickly. It seems she was serious about Couge. I wouldn’t say she was serious, but she became serious about him.

Men take advantage of the fact that she can’t have children, and want to have sex right away, but Couge only ever held her hand even after a month. She thought that meant he cared about her but it turns out that wasn’t the case. 

After she broke up with Couge, things were pretty rough.

Couge’s shop has been booming lately and he’s been ranking highly among the men that many women his age want to marry, so she was probably hoping she’d win him over as a way of getting back at him for humiliating her.

She’d only just broken up with her boyfriend, after all.

I can kind of understand how you’d feel, envious or jealous of how happy you all seem, and wanting to get in the way.

You guys might think she’s a nasty girl.

What she did was just harassment, and I’m not trying to protect her, but can you be a little considerate of a girl’s hurt feelings? “

Elise, who seemed cool, gave off the impression of an older sister when she started talking like this.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not all of it. I’m sure she was casual when she started dating Couge. It’s just that her feelings grew stronger, and Couge’s didn’t. Anyway, I’ll be heading home.”

Elise got up with a “Yoisho” and paid for Amanda’s meal as well.

Couge said he’d pay for it, but he said, “Accepting an apology and not paying are two different things,” and paid for both of them.

I thought she was a nice, straightforward person.  I wonder if she was accompanying Amanda on her visits to the shop out of concern for her.

Elise said that Krish was the perfect marriage partner, but even Krish might think that if the beautiful Elise asked him to marry him, he would prefer Elise to him.

As I was thinking this and staring blankly at Elise’s beautiful, straight back, the door to the shop slid open before I could reach it, and someone came rushing in with great force.

“Yes! It’s still open! Are there any leftover meal sets?”

“Ahhh!”

“Watch out!”

The person who came rushing in was the pumpkin knight who had come to search my field before.

Elise was surprised by the knight’s sudden appearance and screamed. Her high heels cracked and she nearly fell. As she stumbled, a strong arm reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder.

 “Excuse me. Are you okay?”

“No way, Krish-sama?”

The owner of the strong arms was Krish-san.

Why is Krish-san here? He said he’d be working until the evening.

When I saw Elise-san’s face light up, I immediately hid in the shadow of the table.

“Hey, don’t jump out. It’s dangerous.”

“Oh, sorry, are you okay?”

“Yes, um, I’m fine!”

Elise-san’s eyes were fixed on Krish-san. She was looking up at Krish-san with her fingers crossed in front of her chest like a “girl in love.” It was like she wasn’t paying any attention to anyone else.

 “Um, let me treat you to a meal as thanks for helping me.”

“No, thank you. Don’t mind.”

“I may look like this, but I’m actually quite a homely person. Please come over to my house. I’ll do my best to cook for you!!

So, um, I’ve always admired you, Krish-sama. I’d like to take this opportunity to get closer to you.”

Are all the women in this world this proactive!? Hiding in the shadow of the desk, I broke out into a cold sweat. What should I do, Elise and Krish-san have met.

The pumpkin knight whistled at the proactive Elise.

 “Wow, as expected of Krish-san, you’re really popular. By the way, are there any set meals left?”

“No, sorry. We were about to close the shop because we were sold out.”

“Oh no, we were too late again.”

The pumpkin knight’s shoulders slumped and he clapped his hands as he had a good idea.

“Then, why don’t you treat Krish-san to her cooking while you’re here? You finished work early, so all you have to do is go home, right?”

“Yes, please come!!”

“That’s right, meeting someone new is the best cure for the pain of a broken heart.”

Norn and Couge were panicking because they thought I had a crush on Krish-san.

No, don’t go. Krish-san is my lover.

I actually wanted to jump out from behind the desk and go to Krish-san’s side right away, but my body was sewn in place and couldn’t move.

Because I know I’ve never been anyone’s number one.

“Krish-sama, you don’t have a girlfriend right now, do you? I want to be your girlfriend. Of course, we can start as friends to get to know each other.

I promise I won’t change my mind like Annette-sama did.”

“Wow, I’m so jealous! I’d like to hear that too.”

The pumpkin knight was trying to provoke us, and Elise was getting excited with his support, so the mood was somehow celebratory.

I guess neither of them thought that Krish-san would refuse.

I should have just stayed home today. Then I wouldn’t have had to witness this scene. I was so sad and lonely that I wanted to cover my ears.

“Sorry, I made you wait.”

Krish-sama’s footsteps as he said this were clear and decisive as he got closer, and a shadow was cast over me.

 “Shinobu, what are you hiding in a place like this?”

I was lifted from the shadow of the desk by someone who put his hands under my armpits and sat on Krish-san’s arm.

Krish-san looked puzzled, but when he saw my surprised face he laughed. He tilted his head and put his right cheek close to mine.

“I’m back, Shinobu.”

It was the usual welcome home greeting. I reflexively put my lips to Krish-san’s cheek.

“Welcome back, Krish-san.”

“What!?”

Then I realized that this wasn’t my house, and my face got hot. I was seen. Everyone saw me.

Norn, Couge, the pumpkin knight, and Elise were all surprised by our exchange.

I was so embarrassed that I hid my face by pressing it tightly against Krish-san’s neck.

 “Huh, you mean Shinobu and Krish-sama…?”

“I guessed right after all!!”

Behind Norn and Couge, the pumpkin knight was making a fuss, saying, “Seriously? Seriously?!”

W-what should I do? Should I try to hide it? After all, it’s only recently that news of Annette-sama and Krish-san’s breakup has spread. Wouldn’t it be bad for him to have a new lover in just a month?

Not knowing what to do, I tightened my arms around Krish-san’s neck. I folded my arms and legs to make myself smaller, hoping that if I shrunk, everyone wouldn’t see me. When I did, Krish-san patted me on the back to calm me down.

“Shinobu is my lover.”

Krish-san, are you sure you want me to be your lover? Really?

 A beautiful woman like Elise said she wanted you to be her boyfriend, so will you choose me?

I’ve never been anyone’s number one before. I had friends, a father, and a mother, but they all had other important people and things. My grandpa was number one, and my grandma was number one.

I wanted to be number one, but I was sad that I didn’t get it. I always gave up thinking it couldn’t be helped.

I’m so happy that Krish-san chose me, I’m shaking. I no longer have to think that I’m okay being alone.

I was so moved by this, so happy I almost cried. Not wanting to be away from Krish-san for even a moment, I hugged him tightly.

I thought it would be painful to hug him so tightly, but Krish-san didn’t complain and hugged me back. I felt so relieved.

I relaxed my body and clung to Krish-san.