PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter4

Chapter 4: The Day of Sierra’s Absence

The next day…Sierra was absent from school.

Within the classroom, the seat that was always the center of attention, that was normally radiant like a flower in bloom, was starkly empty. Currently in the middle of English reading class…The girl who stood up from her seat started reading, her voice resonating like an incantation throughout the quiet classroom.

Until just the day before yesterday, he wasn't even aware of Sierra Zadou's existence…And yet, now, the classroom without her felt like it was missing its color, seeming as if time had stopped and the world was in grayscale.

Not really listening to the reader, the other students whose eyes were all glued to their textbooks also seemed to be like lifeless dolls. It felt as if, without her there, all the energy had disappeared from the world.

“Jin. Well aren’t you looking unusually sharp today.”

Hearing Yuuya’s voice, Jin reeled in surprise. Class was already over, and the board was already erased by those on duty.

“Ah…so class ended?”

“I feel ya. I can barely keep awake myself in English class.”

Yuuya laughed then pinched Jin’s collar.

“You dried your clothes by the window last night, right? As I thought, when you wash it by hand, you don’t have to use an iron to get it crisp like this. I had no idea that you cared so much about looking good.”

“Ah, no. This wasn’t my doing…”

“Using the dorm’s Laundromat, they end up all wrinkled, you know. I’d like to wash mine by hand too, but…If my hands get too rough, I won’t be able to play the guitar anymore.”

“I see. So handwashing…makes your hands rough, huh.”

Jin looked down at his shirt. Although it hadn’t been ironed, it had been properly washed, spread out, and dried. That Sierra who had until recently had everything done for her had washed it with her fair hands that had probably never even touched a scrubber before.

I really said something quite mean…he thought to himself. He should have been well aware…that she hadn't done it just for money or to level up as the genie of the lamp. After she had smiled so happily when he praised her omelette too...

“Yuuya. Have you ever, hurt someone’s feelings saying something you shouldn’t have?”

Jin hung his head as he questioned Yuuya.

“Tons of times, I should think. What of it?”

“Afterwards…were you able to patch things up?”

“Well, they said they’d never forgive me as long as they lived, so I guess not?”

“They must have been really pissed off…”

Jin let his shoulders slump. Replying trivially, Yuuya tilted his head to the side, completely clueless as to why Jin was acting so depressed.