I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 99: Sweet Whispers at the End of Summer

“Hahaha! Running on the sandy beach at sunset is so much fun!”

“Wait, wait a second, Shijouin-san! Running like that in your current state is not safe!”

Amidst the dimming sunset, I was chasing after Shijouin-san, who was exhilaratingly running on the sandy beach, high on spirits.

Although the girl’s running speed wasn’t particularly fast, she seemed to be unaffected by fatigue due to her drunken state, and as a result, she had moved quite far from where we had the barbecue.

(Despite being drunk, she’s full of energy, just like a high schooler…! That’s precisely why it’s so dangerous!)

Experiencing the suspense of chasing after an unpredictable child, I accelerated even more to catch up with the overly free-spirited girl due to the effects of alcohol.

“Huh…? Somehow, my legs are getting heavy…”

Finally, her energy seemed to have depleted, and Shijouin-san’s steps slowed down. I reached her and grabbed her small shoulders to prevent her from wandering off.

“Phew… Finally caught you…”

“Hehe… You managed to catch me…”

Breathless, I announced the end of the chase, and Shijouin-san, still in a dream-like trance, smiled happily, appearing quite satisfied. I thought her drunken mind might show some dissatisfaction for being caught, but strangely, she seemed slightly happy about it.

“Are you okay, Shijouin-san? Are you feeling unwell or do your legs hurt?”

Running energetically while drunk could have quickly led to feeling unwell. Having witnessed new employees turning pale from drinking too much at company gatherings, I was genuinely concerned about such possibilities.

“Muu… Niihama-kun is always like this…”

“Huh…?”

Facing me again, Shijouin-san puffed up her cheeks as if sulking, narrowing her eyes as she fixed her gaze on me.

What’s wrong? Did I say something strange?

“At times like this… If it were Mizuki-san or Fudehashi-san, you’d definitely be saying something like, ‘Stop running around recklessly!’ or ‘Why am I being forced to run on the beach!?’. But… Why do you speak so politely to me?! It feels like you’re being very distant!”

“Huh, uh! No, well, that’s because…”

While accepting her cute frustration, I found myself lost for words. It was true that I tended to act with a somewhat princely attitude around Shijouin-san, not wanting to be disliked, but… To think that she felt distant despite becoming friends!

“Hahaha! Even though we’ve become friends, I’ve been distancing myself all this time! I’m so clumsy! I’ve built a castle instead of a wall!”

Like a primary school child, Shijouin-san swung her arms, expressing her dissatisfaction with a high-spirited tone. Unexpectedly, she poured out her grievances, and I could only stand there bewildered.

(I-I guess it’s true. When interacting with Shijouin-san, I’ve been unintentionally behaving like I’m addressing a princess, just so I wouldn’t be disliked…! But she became friends with me, and yet she still thinks I’m distant?)

In the midst of her childish frustrations, Shijouin-san suddenly lowered her spirits and spoke apologetically.

“However… I’m at fault too…”

“Huh…?”

And then, while still in her trance-like state, she leaned closer to my face. I was caught off guard and flustered as she moved closer, almost like she was about to whisper something in my ear.

(What is she trying to do? Her thoughts seem to be all over the place due to her drunkenness, making her actions unpredictable!)

The scent of the shampoo she used in the shower before the barbecue tickled my nostrils, causing my chest to warm up. Suddenly, Shijouin-san pulled close to my ear and…

“Shinichirou-kun…”

“Huh!? W-Wait…!”

In a soft whisper, my name soaked into my earlobe. Just hearing that single word made my ears tingle sweetly, and an electrifying sensation ran through my whole body.

“Shinichirou-kun… Shinichirou-kun…”

“Hya… Haa…!”

Her breath, accompanied by her whisper, affected my eardrums. Every time she spoke my name, my heart leaped, and a sweet intoxication permeated my mind.

Until now, I had been overwhelmed by her beauty and captivated by her innocent smile multiple times. However, this sensation was entirely different from anything I had experienced before.

As if I were drowning in a delicious, potent liquor, her whispers melted every part of my being.

“Fu-fu… How is it, Shinichirou-kun? Calling someone by their name is the first step toward becoming close friends! That’s what it says in every light novel!”

With an innocent smile, Shijouin-san moved away from my ear. She seemed entirely unfazed by her own actions, radiating an aura of happiness and displaying a carefree smile.

And as for me, my head was emitting steam, and my face was bright red. I couldn’t utter a word. Her breath and the sound of my name had left me in a state of confusion, intoxicated with sweetness, and the effects of the alcohol were still strong throughout my entire body.

(W-What on earth… This is so dangerous… My brain feels like it’s being directly coated with honey…!)

At home when Shijouin-san stayed over, she did call me “Shinichirou-kun” when talking to my mother. But that was merely to distinguish between family and friends. This situation and the impact were entirely different from those times.

“All right, now it’s your turn, Niihama-kun!”

“Huh!?”

With a smiling face and sparkling eyes, Shijouin-san gazed at me. Naturally, I could sense what her innocent gaze was seeking, and I understood that if I didn’t respond to this excited girl’s expectations, things wouldn’t settle down.

But…

(I-I’m really not mentally prepared for this! It’s embarrassing to admit, but in my past life, I’ve never called a woman, other than family, by her first name! This is way out of my comfort zone!)

That was my honest thought, but at the same time, I had learned in my past life that trials and challenges often come without warning.

Sudden death marches, unexpected complete data loss on a computer, and sales bringing in impossible physical deadline projects… Situations never waited for me to be mentally prepared.

“U-um… well… er…”

If I could say something forcefully, it might have been a bit easier, but with this innocent girl looking at me with expectant eyes, my sense of shame locked up my voice.

However, this was undoubtedly something I needed to do, sooner or later.

If I wanted to deepen my bond with this girl in front of me and become closer, I would have to break out of my shell once again.

Yes, I already knew that moving forward little by little like this was the most crucial thing I could do, something I couldn’t achieve in my past life.

“…Haruka…”

“Hya!?”

With a mysterious sense of guilt, as if I had called a beautiful princess by her first name, I trembled as I uttered those three syllables. My face burned with embarrassment, but at the same time, I felt a sense of pride in being able to take a step forward so clearly.

“…Hey, are you okay? Is the alcohol hitting you all at once?”

Suddenly, her face reddened as if she had just downed a barrel of sake, her eyes wide open.

Could it be… she got quite drunk from running on the beach?

“Huh huh huh… W-wait a minute… No, I mean, I feel like my heart is in turmoil, but I’m okay…! It’s probably just an illusion that I’ll be rolling around on the bed when this fluffy feeling goes away! I’ll be fine, I said I’m fine…!”

While saying that she was not fine at all, Shijouin-san placed a hand on her chest and regulated her breathing, just as I had done when waves of anxiety hit me. At least, to an onlooker, she did not seem at all calm.

Anyway…

“Well, uh… if I’ve been holding back too much and not acting like a friend, I apologize.”

“Huh…?”

Looking at it objectively, I must have appeared quite formal with Shijouin-san, treating her differently from how I interacted with Kazamihara and Fudehashi, and it was understandable to be seen as distant.

Conversely, if Shijouin-san had casually dropped her ladylike speech and spoken more casually with her other friends, I might have felt excluded and lonely.

“It’s too sudden to change, but… from now on, I’ll try to talk more casually. So, um… I hope you’ll feel better.”

“Huh huh huh… I’ve been in a great mood lately… but…”

Though I wasn’t sure how much her swaying form could comprehend, I spoke the words as I wished. And in response, Shijouin-san showed an even more relaxed smile than usual.

“But… occasionally, I’d be happy if you call me by my name like you did earlier… right? ‘Shinichirou-kun…'”

“A-uh… S-Shijouin… No, I mean… ‘Haruka.'”

“Huh huh… This feels nice, doesn’t it?”

With a smile that savored happiness, Shijouin-san muttered as she approached me.

In the fading evening sun, her gentle smile was even more radiant.

“Since I started talking to you… everything has been so enjoyable… and I’ve been getting less and less scared…”

Her dreamy eyes swayed, and Shijouin-san’s body tilted.

Exhausted from the day of play and drunkenness, she lost her balance and collapsed towards me without considering her own state.

(Whoa, this is dangerous!)

I grabbed her shoulders as she slumped towards me and supported her. She seemed to be in a daze, but without thinking about her condition, she uttered words faintly while wearing a dreamy expression.

“Every time… Shinichirou-kun… makes me so ‘happy’…”

Amidst the sound of the waves, Shijouin-san smiled innocently. With the world dyed crimson by the evening sun, her words and emotions captivated my gaze.

“…Being with you… makes me very… happy…”

With those words as her last, Shijouin-san’s body began to completely lose strength, and she quietly fell into a light slumber. However, as someone who had taken care of many drunken people in my past life, I expected this development. I gently supported her body before she collapsed to the ground and laid her down on the beach.

(Oh my… she has such an innocent sleeping face…)

Blushing again at the touch of her back and shoulders, I took off my parka and spread it between Shijouin-san’s hair and the sand.

The girl, who had exhausted all her energy and fallen asleep, smiled with an expression of satisfaction, just like a child who had played to her heart’s content.

“…It’s been a good summer, Shijouin-san.”

Though I had just called her by her name for the first time a little while ago, the habits and embarrassment caused me to use my usual way of addressing her.

Going to the sea, something I couldn’t even imagine in my past life, had brought me beautiful memories of youth that I had never experienced before.

I was glad I mustered the courage to invite her out and move forward, just as I had wished.

Well, that’s all fine, but…

“…Huh? Does this mean I need to carry Shijouin-san on my back now!?”

Realizing this fact, I panicked comically on the sandy beach—yet, I couldn’t think of any other way, and it took me a considerable amount of time to come to that decision.