All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Chapter 798: The Embrace Has Long Since Lost Its Warmth (Part 2)

When did I develop this habit? Hibiki Naegi asked herself inwardly. She knew very well that even if she questioned herself in her heart, there would be no answer.

Or rather, she knew the answer perfectly well. It was just that the tangled mass of guilt, shame, apology, and refusal to admit the truth inside her made her unwilling to lift her head and face the answer she had long since known.

Hibiki turned her head away as if fleeing, looking toward the television beside her, where a late-night variety show was playing.

The late-night program was nearing its end and would soon conclude this episode amid laughter and cheerful chatter. After the variety show would come the long-awaited late-night drama that many night owls anticipated and that adolescents would secretly get up to watch.

Seiko Kirigiri gave Hibiki a deep look, pretending not to notice the stiffness in her reply. She nodded gently, then moved past her with slow steps, gradually walking toward her bedroom.

As Seiko’s footsteps faded into the distance, the entire living room was left with only Hibiki.

Perhaps it was because she had already slept for a while at her desk earlier, or perhaps it was because of the conversation and what had just happened between her and Seiko, but Hibiki did not feel particularly sleepy now.

Even if she returned to the bedroom, she would probably only lie on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, waiting in a daze for drowsiness to arrive at some unknown time.

Why not count sheep?

Because in her current mood, even if she silently recited in her mind, one sheep, two sheep, three sheep..., she felt she would grow impatient and be unable to continue.

Come to think of it, that was strange. She was not an impatient person. If she were, she could never have walked this far along the narrow bridge of art—a path where talent reigned supreme—struggling forward step by step with her meager aptitude.

It could only be said that she simply had no mood for anything right now.

Hibiki did not know how long she stood in the living room. In any case, the variety show on the television had already ended. It was now commercial time. Soon, a preview for tonight’s late-night drama would begin. If she felt too sleepy and did not want to stay up, she could check the broadcast time, insert a videotape in advance, set the recording time, then return to her bedroom to sleep. After waking up the next day, she could start watching the recorded late-night drama.

Although with the emergence of streaming platforms such as Nico Nico and Netflix, operations like waiting for a program’s broadcast time, inserting a videotape, and setting a recording schedule had begun to feel retro several years ago, there were still people who preferred doing things this way and would periodically buy blank tapes specifically for recording.

Hibiki remembered that when she was very young, before going to kindergarten, she often asked her parents to record her favorite programs for her on videotapes. That way, when she returned home from kindergarten, she could watch them immediately.

Later, after she learned how to use videotapes herself, she stopped troubling her parents and would insert the tape and set the recording time before leaving for kindergarten each day.

Once, when setting a recording, she accidentally set the wrong time, and the tape ended up recording that night’s late-night drama as well.

And that late-night drama just so happened to tell the story of the love and hatred between a second-year university girl and a thirty-three-year-old divorced woman.

Even after so many years, Hibiki still remembered the plot of that drama clearly.

The mature thirty-three-year-old woman had divorced her husband because he was keeping a second-year university student as his mistress. Unable to accept such behavior, she chose divorce.

After the divorce, the woman went to a park in Aomori to clear her mind, where she happened to meet a female university student practicing singing.

When the woman had been in university, she too had been a member of the choir, singing in the alto range. Upon seeing the university girl practicing, she stood quietly to the side and listened. After the girl finished, she stepped forward to chat with her.

During their brief conversation, the woman felt that the girl before her possessed a pure and clean temperament that stirred an involuntary fondness within her. Coincidentally wishing to change her living environment and her mood, she kept the girl’s contact information and rented an apartment in Aomori.

From then on, whenever she had time, the woman would ask the girl out to discuss many things. Though there was indeed a generational gap at the beginning between women of two different age groups, as time gradually passed, the gap remained but they tacitly avoided it, instead talking about topics they both found interesting—such as singing.

As time passed, affection blossomed. The woman gradually developed feelings for the girl—feelings called love. Having experienced a failed marriage, she had come to understand that one must live according to one’s own heart.

So she did not hesitate. One evening, when she invited the girl to her home for dinner, under the influence of red wine and candlelight, the relationship between the woman and the girl ceased to be simple in a single night.

After tasting that flavor reminiscent of citrus for the first time, time did not linger for them. Very soon, the woman accidentally discovered that the girl she had fallen in love with was precisely the university student her husband had once kept and lived with for a long time.

The woman had never imagined in her wildest dreams that the girl she had sincerely fallen in love with was the very mistress who had destroyed her family.

Between love and hatred, she did not know what to choose.

As for what happened next...

Because the late-night drama ended right there, marked as the end of the first season. After so many years, several of the main actors had already left the entertainment industry, and there was still no news of a second season.

That drama became the first "awakening film" of Hibiki’s childhood.

Hibiki considered going to the kitchen to drink a glass of cold water, then returning to the living room to rewatch the drama that had given her that "awakening." But after coming back from the kitchen and sitting down on the sofa, she no longer felt like watching it. Her mood was complicated and heavy, as though there were many things she wanted to do, yet she did not know which one to choose.

Recalling Seiko Kirigiri’s words and expression from earlier, a stinging sensation spread across Hibiki’s cheeks, as if a pair of large hands were pressing down hard on her shoulders. An inexplicable sense of unease surged up within her.

Each finger of her right hand felt as though something were wriggling inside it, bringing waves of sharp pain.

Hibiki remembered that about a week ago, her right hand had begun experiencing this condition. From time to time, there would be a prickling sensation she could not quite describe, like insects writhing and gnawing inside her flesh. Sometimes the pain would last for a long while. Other times, it would come quickly and vanish just as fast.

Of course, in reality there was nothing inside her hand. Yet whenever the prickling sensation struck, it always felt as though something were slowly crawling within it.

Hibiki merely treated it as fatigue from practicing drawing for too long lately and did not take it to heart. As she gently rubbed her right hand with her left, her thoughts drifted to Seiko Kirigiri.

Recalling the conversation and what had just happened, Hibiki’s mood gradually sank into a strange dimension. The inexplicable unease that had surged up earlier now felt like a balloon slipping free from her grasp, drifting uncertainly in the air.

"Seiko..."

Hibiki softly murmured Seiko Kirigiri’s name. Compared to the unease, another emotion—slightly different—rose within her, yet she could not find the right word to describe it.

Hibiki picked up a hair tie and tied her hair back. When the strands at her neck were lifted and gathered into a ponytail, she felt as though some of the stuffiness, heat, and dust clogging her heart had dispersed slightly.

It was like a sealed room thick with dust suddenly having its window opened. Some of the dust would drift out and fresh air would flow in. Yet no matter how much dust floated away, it could not change the fact that the room was still filled with it.

Ding.

Her phone suddenly chimed with a message notification.

Eiren Kanagawa had sent her several new messages at this hour.

Seiko Kirigiri’s face instinctively surfaced in Hibiki’s mind. She felt that she should not look at Eiren Kanagawa’s messages anymore. She should gradually distance herself from her and, like before, devote herself wholeheartedly to loving Seiko Kirigiri.

But by the time Hibiki came back to her senses, she realized she had already opened the chat window with Eiren Kanagawa and was staring at the new messages.

There were not only voice messages but also a Word document.

She did not know whether this was Eiren Kanagawa’s usual habit, or if she only behaved this way when chatting with Hibiki.

At the beginning, Eiren Kanagawa had sent text messages. Gradually, she had switched to sending only voice messages.

As a result, every time Hibiki listened to Eiren Kanagawa’s messages, she would either lower the volume and hold the phone close to her ear, wear earphones, or use the voice-to-text function.

Moreover, Eiren Kanagawa unconsciously carried a Kansai accent when she spoke. Listening directly was fine—Hibiki could understand her—but if she used voice-to-text...

It could only be said that LINE’s voice-to-text function was not particularly powerful. Every time it converted the audio into text, the resulting words were somewhat baffling.

Hibiki had once tentatively complained about it. Upon hearing that, Eiren Kanagawa had let out a deliberately cutesy giggle and said:

"It can’t be helped. I’ve been working and living in Kyoto for so long, so of course my speech carries a bit of the Kinki dialect~

Since you can understand me anyway, don’t use voice-to-text. Just tap and listen directly. If there are too many people around or it’s inconvenient, then wait until it is. After all, the reason I send voice messages is because I want you to hear my voice often.

What if you don’t hear my voice for a long time and then, when you finally do, it feels unfamiliar?

Besides, I’m not asking you to reply the instant you see my messages. Replying instantly is the kind of little trick only couples play, right?"

And so, Hibiki gradually accepted Eiren Kanagawa’s habit of sending voice messages.

Hibiki glanced around. After confirming that Seiko Kirigiri had returned to the bedroom, she tapped on Eiren Kanagawa’s voice message and began listening.

Eiren Kanagawa said, "Sorry, sorry, sending you messages so late. If I disturbed your rest, then next time we go on a date, I’ll treat you to French cuisine. Actually, forget that—I just want to take you out for French food."

"You’re not allowed to refuse! Many famous painters in history were French. For example, my favorite French painter—he was a pioneer of Impressionism and modern Expressionism, and a typical representative of Romanticism. His name is Eugène Delacroix. I really love his oil painting The Death of Sardanapalus."

"So many great painters who left their names in history came from France. If you round things up, eating French cuisine is practically a form of art study, right? So if you refuse to go eat French food with me, it’s basically the same as giving up an opportunity to study art to some extent."

"Heh heh, think it over carefully—are you going to accept my invitation to eat French cuisine on our next date?~"

"Oh right, you’re probably curious about that Word document I sent you. I’ve been in charge of art entrance exams a few times before. It mainly contains key points that teachers tend to focus on during past exams. I recently looked through all the paintings you’ve done since entering high school. I can see you’ve worked hard, and you do have a certain level of skill. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been selected for the first exhibition of the National Youth Art Award at Tokyo Metropolitan University."

"Based on the strengths and weaknesses shown in your current drawing level, and combined with the key focuses of past art exams, I wrote a few practice exercises specifically targeting your weak areas. I hope they can help you."

"No need to thank me. I’m in Chiba lately anyway. Idle time is still time, so I used some of it to write up a few exercises for you."

"Don’t be too moved. This isn’t an art textbook, so of course it’s not extremely detailed or comprehensive. It’s all tailored to your current level. Your strengths and weaknesses are pretty easy to see, so I didn’t have to put in much effort. I just threw together a bit."

"Don’t be lazy. Find time—or use your after-school club hours—to practice the exercises I assigned. Don’t send me photos after finishing just one. Wait until you’ve completed all of them, then send me each piece corresponding to each exercise together."

"At that point, I’ll go through them one by one with you, explaining and analyzing each piece. As for whether you prefer me to explain online or meet at a café or library to go over them in person, that depends on what you feel like then~"

"Remember to open, download, and save that Word document soon. I’m not very good at sending files on my phone. Files sent through LINE seem to expire automatically after a few days."

After listening, Hibiki finally realized that the Word document contained the materials Eiren Kanagawa had prepared for her over the past few days. Feeling moved, she eagerly opened the document and began downloading it while reading.

The content was extremely detailed. Even though Eiren Kanagawa had claimed she had just thrown together a few lines, one look at the word count—over fifty thousand words—was enough to show that she had not only written it with care but had likely stayed up late these past few days to compile such a comprehensive set of practice materials for Hibiki.

Every piece of advice and analysis regarding Hibiki’s drawing level was strikingly precise. As Hibiki read slowly, word by word, she felt a sensation of imminent enlightenment spiraling upward within her heart.

She suppressed her excitement slightly and temporarily exited the Word document interface. She wanted to send Eiren Kanagawa a reply first.

This time, Hibiki also sent a voice message.

After clearing her throat, she said with excitement in her voice, "Thank you, Kanagawa-sensei, for the materials. I’m truly so grateful. These fifty thousand words are incredibly precious. Please tell me how I can repay you!"

After sending it, Hibiki waited for Eiren Kanagawa’s reply. The messages had just been sent not long ago, so she was probably still awake.

Sure enough, a reply came quickly.

Another voice message.

"I told you there’s no need to thank me so much. Just fifty thousand words. If you gave me enough time, do you believe I could turn it into over a hundred thousand words? And add ten PowerPoint files on top of that."

"But art is ultimately about integration and understanding. No matter how much written material you read, if you can’t put it onto paper, it’s useless. You don’t need to scrutinize every sentence. I’ve marked the most important knowledge points, techniques, and suggestions in red."

"By the way, isn’t this supposed to be a good student’s bedtime? Why are you still awake so late? What, I’m sitting here looking at the night view, drinking bourbon whiskey—are you planning to copy me?"

"Although I think women can learn to drink a little if they like, you’re still in high school. No drinking allowed. However, once you’re in university, you’re welcome to come to my place for drinks. I have quite a lot of alcohol at home, though nothing particularly expensive."

"After all, I, Eiren Kanagawa, am extraordinarily gifted and talented. Becoming a professor in the art department of Kyoto University at such a young age—while I do have a bit of money, I’m definitely not the extremely wealthy type."

Gradually, though it was already very late, Hibiki began chatting with Eiren Kanagawa on LINE through voice messages.

However...

What Hibiki did not know was...

Outside the living room, Seiko Kirigiri was sitting on the stairs. Tilting her head slightly toward the direction of the living room, she leaned against the railing in that posture, as if trying to hear more clearly the conversation between Hibiki and that woman.

After leaving the living room, Seiko Kirigiri had never returned to the bedroom. Instead, she had sat down on the stairs, listening in the silence to Hibiki’s every movement.

She had not expected that this time, she would also overhear Hibiki’s conversation with that woman.

Originally, Seiko Kirigiri had been persuading herself that the woman might have only been a figure from her nightmare...

But now...

Sitting on the stairs, listening to the cheerful laughter exchanged through voice messages between Hibiki and Eiren Kanagawa, something seemed to be slipping away from Seiko Kirigiri’s gaze. In a low murmur, she whispered to herself,

"Eiren Kanagawa... So that’s her name? It sounds so familiar, as if I heard it in my nightmare. A professor in the art department of Kyoto University... Heh... heh... So the woman I dreamed about last night was her after all."

Seiko Kirigiri lifted her head and, with calm eyes, stared in the direction of the living room, continuing to listen to the laughter between Hibiki and Eiren Kanagawa.

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