SCIAW: Chapter 263/264

Chapter 263: Separation and Return
As night fell, the Hotel seemed unusually quiet.

It was partly because they'd been exhausted by a Ren's revelations, and Kogoro had spent the entire afternoon trying to talk to them.

"Kogoro sure is enthusiastic."

Yumi Horikoshi looked slightly troubled.

"That guy's always been like this, you know that."

Nakamichi Kazushi laughed carefreely beside her, though his smile held a trace of bitterness.

"I really didn't expect you to have such serious psychological issues."

"Same here. I didn't expect you to be thinking of getting rid of me entirely."

Yumi shot back without hesitation.

But she wasn't really angry anymore. In truth, she had often thought of suicide in the past. Her emotional instability and the tendency to hurt others might have come from an unconscious desire for self-destruction.

Now that things were out in the open and the difficult words had been spoken, she actually felt somewhat relieved.

"My thoughts were extreme. I just wanted to change the direction of my life. My fiancée agreed too. Also, don't pretend you're innocent. I didn't even bring up your harassment over the last six months."

Kazushi looked a bit embarrassed when she pointed that out. He truly had thought about ending things entirely. But it had been Yumi's behavior that pushed him to that point.

"These past six months… I was confused too."

"Weren't we all?"

For both of them, the last six months had been a whirlwind of emotional chaos. Under such high mental stress, they had made all the wrong choices.

Neither of them wanted to dwell on the past any longer.

Yumi looked up at the night sky, where stars were still visible. It felt like there was still hope glimmering in her otherwise dark life, and her mood lifted just a little.

She began reflecting on the past six months.

She had always hoped her partner would be someone she loved, someone who could accept the parts of her that were hard to face. But she had been afraid that revealing her past would lead to rejection.

At the same time, her past experiences had made her deeply wary of men.

It was because of that wariness that she could never bring herself to accept Kazushi's marriage proposal. The closer he pushed for marriage, the more withdrawn and unstable she became. When he finally walked away for good, her nerves snapped.

Her mind turned manic and violent, and the dark thought that "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it" took root deep in her heart.

Now that she looked back calmly, it terrified her.

I really should see a doctor.

Yumi wasn't sure if she'd ever had that realization before, but she knew now—under that manic influence, she would've continued acting impulsively, following thoughts born of pain.

What surprised her most was that today, in that moment of conflict, she didn't feel any mania at all. Instead, her heart was calm.

She didn't know how it happened, but the spiritual peace she felt right now was the most relaxed she had been in a long time.

Because of that tranquility, she was finally able to think clearly and acknowledge that her mental state was unstable, and that she needed proper treatment.

"Well, that's enough of this topic. Kogoro's going to catch on if we're gone too long."

Turning back, Yumi made her decision—to part ways with her former self.

"This should be the last time we meet. From now on, let's stay out of each other's lives."

After learning that Kazushi had once considered killing her, Yumi understood that her mental condition had affected many people.

Regardless of how much her mental state influenced others, the moment Kazushi had such thoughts, it meant their relationship had reached its end. The best outcome now was to go their separate ways and never cross paths again.

"Yeah."

Kazushi didn't try to stop her. After 18 years of love, he had only now learned about Yumi's traumatic past—from a friend of Kogoro's daughter, no less.

Maybe he should've realized it earlier.

But there's no such thing as "maybe" in the real world.

As Yumi turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

"You…"

It was Omura, the most honest and sincere person in their old judo club.

But right now, his face was filled with sadness. Yumi immediately realized that Omura had overheard her conversation with Kazushi.

She chuckled.

"Omura, I'm not dead, so don't look so miserable. Didn't Kogoro already guess everything from your expression?"

"Yumi, your mental health…"

Omura still looked at her with concern.

"Well, I think it can be treated. After this class reunion, I plan to see a psychologist and start therapy. Though I might have to rely on medication going forward."

Yumi didn't think it was a big deal.

Mental illness needs to be addressed. After experiencing this rare moment of peace, she could no longer accept being the unstable version of herself. Even if it meant relying on medication, she refused to be ruled by emotions for the rest of her life.

Mental illness could be treated—it just required long-term care.

As for how long it would take, Yumi didn't know.

For 18 years, she never once believed she had a problem. After such a long delay, who could say how long recovery would take?

"Yumi, would you go out with me?"

"…"

The sudden confession caught Yumi completely off guard. She turned and looked at Omura, who seemed anxious after saying something so bold. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Omura, I'm not a good woman. I'm not as innocent as I seem. I toyed with someone's feelings for 18 years."

"…I know."

"???"

"I knew you and Nakamichi were dating back in college."

Omura's words stunned Yumi even more. She stood in silence for a moment.

"Omura… are you serious?"

"Yeah. From the moment we first met… I had a crush on you."

Yumi never imagined that Omura, always so quiet and unassuming, had such feelings for her.

"You still say that after hearing everything I've been through?"

"I… don't want to see you suffer. I didn't know before, but now… I don't want Yumi to end up like that."

Yumi could feel the sincerity in his words.

"I don't know when my condition will get better."

"That's okay. I want to stay with you."

"…"

Yumi sighed and looked away.

"Then stay with me for a while. If you get tired of it, leave whenever you want. I'm not a good woman."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 264: Fireworks Festival and Dinner

It was already six in the evening.

The sky had gone dark, and stars shimmered brightly above. Tourists from across Tochigi Prefecture were preparing for the night ahead.

Tonight, a celebration was being held in Tochigi Prefecture, with a grand fireworks display as the highlight. Visitors to the hot spring town were already making their way toward the lake to find a good viewing spot.

Of course, Ren and the others were no exception.

However, rather than squeeze into the crowds, the hot spring hotel on the mountainside actually had a scenic overlook near the summit, offering a better vantage point for enjoying the show.

To reach this upper-level observation deck, they had to go through the corridor leading to the open-air hot spring.

The deck was spacious enough to accommodate over twenty people. A square table sat in the center, with seating on both sides. The ceiling lights were dim enough to highlight the food on the table without interfering with the night view outside.

"The environment here is really nice."

Upon arriving at the deck, Ren walked toward the edge. The surrounding area had no lighting, so guests could focus entirely on the view without distractions.

The location was perfect. From here, you could see nearly the entire hot spring town, including the celebration grounds near the lake at the foot of the mountain. Large crowds had already gathered there to secure spots for the fireworks.

As long as your eyesight was decent, you could take in the entire town from this spot.

During the day the view wasn't particularly impressive, but at night, the lights from the town glittered like stars, making the scenery breathtaking.

"Right?"

Chika leaned on the railing, her eyes sparkling as she admired the view.

"Even though we're a little far from the fireworks, it's better this way. You can only truly appreciate them from a distance. This place is perfect."

"And we get to eat while watching the fireworks. Wow~ This place is amazing. I've already decided—I'm coming here again next time."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Ren standing next to her.

Feeling her eyes on him, Ren didn't object. He also really enjoyed this hot spring trip.

"You should talk to Kaguya about that. She's the one who planned this trip."

Ren pointed to Kaguya, who was sitting on a chair behind them.

Chika immediately shifted her attention, and with her usual sweet and playful voice, she asked,

"Kaguya-chan~ Can we come again next time?"

Kaguya's face twitched. Once again, she was reminded of how shameless this girl was. Especially with that ridiculous body where all her nutrition seemed concentrated in her chest—when she leaned in and rubbed against her like this, it made Kaguya even more irritated.

But there was no way to push this clingy monster away, so she replied with restraint,

"Forget about going again anytime soon. We just had a hot spring trip. We should visit other places next."

"You can go for hot springs in spring, autumn, and winter, but in summer, you should go to the beach. You don't want every vacation to be at a hot spring, do you?"

No matter how enjoyable a hot spring trip is, it would feel dull if done too often.

Actually, Kaguya herself preferred the idea of going to the beach. The problem was, whether it was the beach or the hot springs, she wasn't exactly confident about showing off her figure… and it would be too easy for someone else to draw Ren's attention.

"That's true."

Chika nodded. She would also get bored going to the same place every time. Every season deserved a different destination.

While thinking about it, she glanced around at their small group and couldn't help but smile.

"No matter where we go, this group will never be boring."

That was for sure.

The Occult Research Club wasn't about ghosts or supernatural things—it was the group itself that was the real mystery.

They did completely different things nearly every weekend, sometimes even during regular classes.

So, there was no worry about ever being bored with this group.

"Everyone, it's time to start eating."

Once the waiter had finished setting the table, dinner officially began.

Everyone gathered around the long table.

As Ren sat down, he noticed that dinner tonight seemed to be his favourite cuisine.

It was different from lunch. Was it just to match the time of day with a change in style?

Or…

He subconsciously glanced toward Hayasaka, and happened to meet her gaze. Her lips moved slightly.

[Do you like it?]

After catching her silent question, Ren realized she had arranged it.

So when he craved it, he'd usually make it himself. He could manage thanks to those step-by-step recipe books. Still, while he could cook it, there was no telling how close the taste and texture came to the real thing.

[Thanks, love.]

Hayasaka understood the shape of his lips and smiled sweetly, heart full of warmth.

But just after Ren gave Hayasaka his thanks, he felt a sharp pain under the table.

Ren fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Chika, who was sitting next to him.

She was casually looking elsewhere, but the guilty expression on her face said it all.

You can't hide from someone with the abilities of a Spectator. No wonder people said Spectators had to be nerfed—it made too much sense.

Apparently, no girl could escape the clutches of jealousy.

Ren now fully understood the pain of being too popular. Every girl's envy had to be carefully managed.

Bang!

Just then, the first firework burst in the night sky.

Everyone turned to watch.

Ren slowly pulled his gaze back and, looking around at the others, raised his glass.

"The fireworks show has started. Let's begin dinner."

(To be continued.)