Riaru de Reberu Age Shitara Hobo Chītona Jinsei ni Natta

Chapter 164: Intermission / There’s Still, Something Different

Translator: Reflet

He didn’t get the reason, but he couldn’t leave her be after she had rushed out like that, so Taiyou began going to the door so as to be able to chase after her.

As he did so, Leticia stopped him with a “Heeey”.

「Ya pursuin’ that fool」

「Yeah」

「Whatcha gonna do chasin’ after her」

「I don’t know, but I’m just going to go ahead and get going」

「Go ahead, eh. If that’s the case, lemme give ya a piece of advice」

Taiyou turned his whole body facing Leticia, staring at her. He didn’t understand at all why Youran had ran off, so he was not opposed at all to receiving advice from her best friend.

「It’s best ta not think ya can reach a resolution」

「What do you mean?」

「Even if ya try ta chase afta her tryin’ ta resolve things, things’ll just git worse. Ah dun mind if ya go, but ya best not think ‘bout resolving things」

「……I really can’t?」

Taiyou was baffled. He was full of the desire to pursue her and resolve things.

His personality in the first place was why he liked to move, research causes, and then solve problems. That was why thinking that way, he had sought to chase after Youran, but Leticia had told him not to resolve the situation.

If he couldn’t clear things up, then was there even any point in going? He couldn’t help but think that.

As if seeing through that, Leticia added further.

「As far as going that’s a good idea」

「Really?」

「Yeah, I think so too」

「Even you Aoba」

He furrowed his brow. The meaning was unclear, but Aoba and Leticia were both saying the same thing.

Taiyou felt as if he were the only one out of the loop.

「Because there’s meaning in going」

「In going?」

「Just go, Natsuno-kun……you want to right」

(Well that’s)……Taiyou was about to say, but instead shook his head.

「I got it, I’ll be back」

「Hey pipsqueak, where’s that fool right now?」

「Do not call me a pipsqueak!」

Hera protested for the sake of protesting.

「If it is Youran-chan then she went that way」

「Over there, right」

Nodding, Taiyou dashed out of the room along with Hera.

He sprinted along the inside of the ship with Hera’s guidance.

「It’s over here」

「Gotcha……Whoa!」

Taiyou hurriedly stepped on the brakes. Once he had turned the corner as Hera had told him it had become a dead end.

Taiyou took turns comparing the wall and Hera.

「You sure it’s here?」

「Yes indeed, it is indeed this direction」

「Direction」

「There is no mistake about it being this way……I had not known that a wall was in a place like this」

「You’re like a navigator that ignores the trail and guides people off into the wilderness, you know」

「That’s right!Taiyou-chan, break down the wall here」

「Haaah?」

「The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Come now, you must do it like a broom head hunters」

「No no, that might be effective but it’s someone’s ship――」

「I will ask her if it is okay to break it!」

Hera whirled around and made to return along the path they had come.

「Hold it there」

Calling out like an entertainer, he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, restraining her.

「Mgh!」

「You don’t have to ask her, because that loses us time in the first place. We’ll instead take a detour, so you’ll just constantly be telling me the direction she’s in, okay」

「Huuuh, but it is more like Taiyou-chan to break through the wall, is it not?」

”Well that might very well be the case”……Taiyou admitted as he thought about the way he had been doing things recently.

（Actually, I’ve already been doing things that way……Since meeting Kohaku-san and whatnot）

While remembering that, he spoke firmly again to Hera.

「Anyhow, this time we can do without」

「Understood!」

Hera nodded with her usual happy-go-lucky tone.

Taiyou turned on his heels, searching for a detour route. Turning several corners, he descended and ascended stairways.

During that time, Hera constantly had Youran’s coordinates.

Cutting across the cabins, once they had come out on the opposite side they found Youran.

Youran, who was at the stern, was standing still before the handrails, looking out at sea.

She looked the same from behind as always since he had met her, her posture straight and dignified.

That posture exemplified her very lifestyle.

Youran stood staring before the scenery of the surface of the ocean, reflecting glittering light. It was a sight enough to rival a work-of-art painting.

Taiyou was unconsciously taken in by that.

「Taiyou-chan?」

「Ah」

Taiyou came to himself with Hera’s puzzled voice, which caused Youran to notice and turn his way.

「……What do you want」

Youran fixedly stared at him with only her head turned back. It was clear in her eyes that she was in a bad mood.

But, even with that expression, her posture did not change. Taiyou harbored a mental state somewhere between relieved and mixed feelings.

「Umm――」

The moment he opened his mouth thinking to do something about that unhappy expression, Aoba and Leticia’s advice ran through his head.

It was best to not think of resolving the situation.

The two of them spoke about as much as each other. He didn’t understand why, but doubtless there was a cause.

It was painful, but he decided to follow that, swallowing the words that had come up to his throat.

「Th-The ocean sure is pretty isn’t it」

「……What?」

「Nah, I was just saying that the ocean really is pretty. Blue and all. I wonder why it’s blue, that ocean」

「It is because of refraction」

「That’s the sky! And you’re not even correct!」

「Then it is the mice」

「That’s wrong too!」

「Then――It’s because it wants to be blue」

「You really do like saying those sorts of things huh! In more than one meaning」

「You guys……did you seriously come all this way to do a skit?」

Youran said in an exasperated expression. Her fixated eyes grew even more severe.

「No, that’s not the case, but……」

「……」

Youran’s cold eyes turned back to the sea.

Taiyou had unexpectedly run out of words. Glaring at Hera, she gave an unashamed smile with a “teehee”.

Silence drifted over them.

Wind abruptly blew over them, caressing their bodies and causing Youran’s twintails to flutter.

「……」

Seeing that, Taiyou wordlessly approached her from behind, extending his hands――and pulled her twintails.

She gave a shriek.

「Hey! What are you doing」

「Ah, I didn’t mean to」

「That again? Just what do you think a girl’s hair is」

Her tone becoming sharper, her face became more severe.

「Sorry sorry」

「Ugh!」

She said as if spitting, and Youran slipped by Taiyou’s side. It seemed that she was returning inside the ship since she couldn’t be together with him.

As said girl was passing him, Taiyou pulled her twintails again.

「What the hell!」

Halted, she objected with teary eyes.

「Sorry sorry」

「You think you can just evade the issue by saying sorry. Why the heck are you pulling them」

「Cause you’re leaving, and I felt I had to keep you from doing that」

「Then there should be plenty of other ways」

「That might be true but……」

Taiyou smiled bitterly.

「It’s just that, I may have said it before, but whenever I see those things of yours I just always want to pull them. I don’t know why」

「Like I care! And shouldn’t you be pulling your bride’s in the first place if you want to do that」

「Bride? You mean Aoba?」

「Yes, she even has an easy-to-pull ponytail」

「Hmmm」

Taiyou folded his arms, inclining his head.

「I just can’t get in the mood to do that to her」

「Then why don’t you just pull hers」

「Hera’s?」

「Now then Taiyou-chan, please go ahead」

Hera made simple twintails with her hands.

He briefly gazed at Hera doing that.

「Something’s different」

He said. Indifferent to his disappointment, Hera grinned, letting down her hair without paying it any heed.

「What exactly is different!」

「……I really do wonder what is」

「I get it, I’ll have a short-cut the next chance I get so that you don’t pull it anymore」

「Don’t do it!」

Hearing that she would have a short-cut, Taiyou let out a loud voice immediately.