“Where to start...”
After a tumultuous turn of events, I somehow find myself sitting crisscross in front of a female named Amaki, with a table in between us.
“So... Amaki-san. First, you are saying you are an angel?”
“Yes! I showed you proof so you now believe in me, right?”
“Ah... I guess I do......”
Right, that one-minute sensation of air travel with this girl is not a dream, and indeed, the reality.
“Good to know. Then we can just address the next problem.”
At my exasperated exhale, she turns towards me and gives me a look that says, is there something wrong?
“What do you mean by we are going to be living together in this house?”
Yup, that’s the number one issue. Honestly, the fact that she is an angel doesn’t matter to me. Or—well, it is NOT the matter at all to me.
“It’s exactly what you said.” As she said that, Amaki started heading for the kitchen and rummaging through the refrigerator. This person is really acting as she pleases in one’s house...… Well, it’s not like there is anything inside it, anyway.
“I mean, why is it necessary for you to live here?”
“That is such a silly question,” she answered, trudging back to where I am.
“Don’t you get it? My mission here is to make you happy.”
“Huh......”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be the quickest way of supporting you if I were to live close to you?” She declared with an unperturbed look on her face. Man, this person surely has guts.
“But it’s not like I need you to help me be happy or anything to begin with.”
Everything about this is just weird. Even if she is an angel, why do I have to ask a girl who looks younger than me to make me happy?
“What’s with the tough act! Weren’t you just daydreaming about: even if I truly can wish for happiness, blah blah blah... however the rest goes. Talk about trying to be cool about it!”
“Eh? You saw that? Just forget that, it’s embarrassing.”
“A-NY-WAY! This isn’t just Shikino-san’s problem!”
BAM! Amaki then slams the desk as she stands to her feet.
“O-Oh...”
“I am now fifteen years old but I’m turning sixteen this year.”
“Ah, we are the same age then.”
“Ahaha, what a coincidence, huh!”
We laughed at the realisation, momentarily painting the atmosphere serene.
“No! Stop changing the topic!”
“Ah, okay.”
“Anyway, the thing is, once we angel trainees reach the age of fifteen, we have to descend to the earth and pick at least one human and help make them happy.”
“I see...”
Even angels don’t have it easy, huh...
“And only trainees who manage to make their human partners happy can fully ascend and become an angel!”
I see, I see.
“So you’re saying, in order to help your promotion, I have to let you live here?”
Or in a mean way of putting it, the partner doesn’t even have to be me, it can be anyone else.
“Well, I suppose that is the case.”
She agrees, completely unfazed.
“Then you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to have someone else live here.”
As those words left my mouth, I stood up to signal that the conversation was over. But the moment my eyes fell on to Amaki, I immediately looked down in regret.
Still, I have parents who can send me to school and give me monthly allowances for my daily necessities. Relatively speaking, I can say that I am blessed.
“And if you went help a person who was in much difficulty, wouldn’t it be better for you too?”
“That might be true...”
“So—.”
“But that’s NOT it!”
She suddenly shouted. Her default volume has been a loud one, like whenever she made a racket out of everything. However, this time it sounds different.
“Because... Shikino-san was really hurting, right?”
“Eh?”
“Back in secondary school. You pretended to be alright, but you were hurting all along, right?”
“......?”
I can’t find any words to say.
How can she know about what happened then?
Moreover, why is she bringing it up now?
“That’s why... I wanted to help you. I have resolved to descend to the earth and become Shikino-san’s strength.”
“Wha—no, I mean there’s no need......”
“Shikino-san.”
“If you ever feel hurt, just say it. If it ever feels painful, it’s okay to just say it.”
“Wha—why......”
Why are you suddenly blurting these things now?
Didn’t I keep to myself about what had happened then......
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