Chapter 45: My Own Story
As I walked down the hallway with Flare, I suddenly saw him.
My former fiancé, the man who had rejected me twice.
Alma was surrounded by many women.
“Alma-sama! If it’s alright with you, would you like us to have a meal together sometime?”
“Sure.”
He still had the same fake smile.
He behaved like a nobleman, friendly and without any offense.
At first glance, he seemed unchanged.
“But, I’m sorry. We’ve only talked once, and I don’t think we have much in common, so I’ll decline the meal.”
“Huh. . .I see.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“. . .I’m surprised.”
It was unlike Alma, who I knew, to flatly refuse a woman’s invitation like that.
He had his surroundings and his position to consider.
I thought he would at least be friendly.
He had changed too.
He’s trying to change himself beyond his status and power as a noble.
He was being honest about his feelings.
Seeing me change, he imitated me.
“Are you up to no good again?”
“Ah! Seika-senpai!”
Seika appeared behind us without us noticing.
Surprised, Flare had instinctively put Belfist in front of her.
“What do you want?”
“What. . .ugh, you’re so rough with people.”
Belfist faced his friend.
“We’re not up to anything. We were just strolling around the school and happened to see someone we knew.”
“Is that so? I thought you were up to something again.”
“I am up to something. But I can’t tell you what it is.”
“That’s strange. Is there something you’re hiding from me, my friend?”
“It goes both ways.”
These two are friends, but they have a unique sense of distance between them.
Even after seriously clashing with each other, that hasn’t changed.
“Keep it moderate. You guys stand out.”
“I know.”
Seika gave only a warning and was about to leave.
While watching his departing figure, Bellfist called out to him.
“Seika!”
“What?”
He turned around.
Belfist pointed at him with a proud expression.
“You look better than before.”
“――! Is that so?”
“Ah, just a little bit, though.”
“Heh.”
Seika smiled and turned his back to us, walking away.
I didnt understand it, but it seems Bellfist, his friend did.
He understood Seika’s change…
Suddenly, Flare popped up in my field of vision.
“How was it?”
“How was what…?”
“How was everyone’s demeanor? Did anyone have a dissatisfied expression?”
“. . .No, not at all.”
No, on the contrary. . .
“Everyone seemed to be having fun, right?”
“――Yes, that’s right.”
Certainly, it looked that way.
Leone, Meigen, Billy, and Alma too.
“Seika as well.”
The five heroes I had changed were all living their lives with vigor and vitality.
Flare turned around with her hands behind her back and started talking.
“I’m sure Slayer-san thinks that the events in the book were a source of happiness for everyone, right?”
That’s right.
Their feelings were written in the book, and when they reached the ending, their hearts were dyed with happiness.
That’s why the right ending for them… was to follow the story as it was written.
Because that was what i thought, I felt overwhelming guilt for distorting things..
“Is that really true?”
Flare asked.
seeing me troubled.
“Look at me! I’m not the protagonist that Slayer-san described! I’m leading a completely different life, but I’m incredibly happy!”
“Flare. . .”
“Everyone else is the same. They all seemed happy now. It’s because of Slayer-san.”
Everyone was able to find happiness because I changed things.
Flare gently assured me of that.
But in reality, she should have been the one fulfilling that role.
“It’s not me, it’s what you were able to do.”
“That may be true. But I like where I am now. Everyone is happy, Slayer-san is here, and this person is here too.”
“You don’t need to say ‘this person is here’.”
The two of them glared at each other.
Then she laughed and looked at me.
“I’m happy. I don’t know how happy the me in the book was. Besides, there’s no such thing as a ranking for happiness. If both are happy, that’s good enough. I’ll say it as many times as I need to. I’m happy! Because I became friends with Slayer-san.”
“――Flare.”
Her bright smile illuminated my heart.
As warmth filled me, I felt a sense of fulfillment.
“You’re too influenced by the book.”
“Bell. . .”
“A book is a book, a story that someone somewhere imagined. But the reality that exists here and now, that we are experiencing, is undoubtedly our own.”
“That’s right! For us, there is only the current Slayer-san!”
Their gazes were directed straight at me.
I felt like they were really seeing the Slayer within me. . .
As if telling me that it was okay for me to be here.
“I’m not. . . Slayer.”
“For us, Slayer-san who is here is everything.”
“. . .I’m not the protagonist.”
“That’s only in the book, right?”
The two of them said in unison.
Directed towards me, who was nothing more than a villainess. . .just playing a role.
“Listen, okay? This is Slayer-san’s life! So, the protagonist of that life is Slayer-san.”
“There are no supporting roles. You’re always the protagonist of your own life, just like we are. You… you’re the protagonist of your own life.”
Their words filled my heart.
I see.
This isn’t the story of the book I know.
It wasn’t the story of Slayer Raeburn either.
The path I’m going to take, the destination I’ve chosen. . .
It’s my own story.
“――Thank you.”
With a clear heart, I expressed my gratitude.
Towards my bright and kind friends, and my husband who was bound to me by soul.
This was my life.
It was a story of me. . .grasping happiness.
[insert page=’4633′ display=’content’]
[insert page=’4587′ display=’content’]
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- My Gacha Gaming Habit is Bleeding My Bank Account Dry: How to Stop Before You Go Broke
- Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
- My Brain on UFC: Why I’m Convinced I Could Totally Take on Adesanya (I’m Lying, Don’t Tell Dana)
- How to Stop Your Friends From Thinking You’re a Weeb: A Guide for the Anime-Obsessed
- Do Your Gym Bros Think You’re a Weirdo? (Secret Signs You’re the Gym Oddball)
Leave a Reply