Bernard seemed flustered. Incongruous with the situation, Rhino ended up letting out a small laugh. It seemed Bernard hadn’t expected to hear an answer even though he was the one who asked first. Rhino hoped that after hearing this story, Bernard would think of himself as a decent person. He hoped Bernard would gain confidence that he had likable qualities. And so, he hoped Bernard would escape from the people dragging him into the mire.
In the quiet bathroom, the sound of water filling the bathtub echoed. Rhino clasped Bernard’s hand and fell into thought for a moment.
So then, there was definitely a trigger for Rhino coming to like Bernard. The two were alumni from the same university but different departments, yet they clearly knew of each other. Elliot Weil was famous enough within the university, and the fact that Elliot’s younger brother was Bernard brought with it another kind of fame.
Unlike Elliot, who easily won anyone’s favor, the foolish and gloomy Bernard was awkward at dealing with people. Those who had been curious about him being Elliot’s twin would quickly criticize or condemn him as strange for being different from what they expected. And Rhino had also once been curious about that twin relationship.
“Bernard Weil?”
“Haven’t you heard? ‘That’ Elliot’s twin, I mean.”
“I don’t know. Next season’s match is more important.”
“Rhino, listen. It’s interesting, you know? Chris McGordon apparently bullies him really persistently.”
“Has everyone forgotten that we’re adults now?”
Someone he’d been hanging around with because of the same rugby club brought it up with a snicker. But for Rhino, it was just an unpleasant topic. To be that old and acting like that.
“But even you’ll be convinced when you see him.”
He thought it was stupid talk. But in a corner of his consciousness, he had a vague curiosity about this person called Bernard Weil. As someone accustomed to the goodwill of those around him, he couldn’t really grasp what a life denied by everyone would be like. And he was also the one and only person within the university who didn’t particularly like Elliot.
Though he didn’t say it openly to others, Rhino thought that Elliot, who approached people without hiding his favorable feelings, was quite cunning. The incidents that occurred as if by coincidence were like that too, and there was something unsettling about him, so as Rhino avoided Elliot, he naturally ended up bumping into Bernard, who was around him, more often. Of course, Bernard himself didn’t seem to remember.
There was no need to get involved with some nerd who was always intimidated and couldn’t even make proper eye contact, but instead he became curious about Bernard, who avoided him. So he even went to the library out of the blue and took the seat next to him. It seemed like it would have ended as a relationship maintaining appropriate acquaintance, but one incident occurred.
“I’ve liked you for a long time……”
“How much do you even know about me?”
“I’ve watched all the games you play!”
“Even so, you’ve only seen my outward appearance. Is that kind of thing a feeling of liking someone?”
“I… no…… We’ve even done assignments together.”
“That’s because I needed the grades, so I was being nice.”
It was the day he received a confession from some girl. She was a timid girl whose face he couldn’t even remember well. Called to a secluded corner of the university, Rhino’s expression became somewhat fierce at what she said. That kind of thing happened often. The attitude of not knowing him well yet forcing him to accept a confession of liking him rubbed Rhino the wrong way. Several exchanges went back and forth, and finally the girl, unable to endure it, burst into tears.
“Why, why do you say it like that? Liking someone isn’t… a crime……”
“You talked first without considering my feelings. You should have been prepared.”
Normally that would have been the end of it.
“……I, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. S-sorry.”
She must have called him out thinking it was a place no one would come, but unluckily another person ended up seeing it. Looking at the face of the girl blinking stupidly, not knowing what to do, Rhino thought this was really unlucky.
“What! Why are you eavesdropping on other people’s conversations!”
“Th-that’s… I was looking for a quiet place to stay……”
Bernard’s state was a mess. It seemed he’d already had a bout with Chris’s gang. Rhino was inwardly displeased, but thought it wasn’t his business to get involved anyway and didn’t care. However, the girl who had been crying her eyes out just moments ago showed a hysterical reaction toward Bernard, perhaps embarrassed by this situation. It was understandable. Wasn’t it like confessing in secret and getting rejected, only to have it all witnessed?
“And…… I think what you said was harsh, McPherson.”
“What?”
“No… well, uh…… You condemned her for liking you just based on outward appearance.”
“It wasn’t condemnation, it was the truth.”
“Liking someone originally starts from very trivial triggers.”
Bernard’s voice, which had usually stuttered, became a little calmer. His dark green eyes, half-hidden by his bangs, sparkled beyond his glasses. It was unexpected. Rhino’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you know to butt in? Do you understand that kind of feeling?”
“If it felt like I was butting in, I’m sorry.”
But the hysterical reaction still interjected. Perhaps embarrassed, Bernard blushed and didn’t know what to do. He kept apologizing to the girl, fumbling around, then held out a crumpled handkerchief telling her not to cry. The other person snatched it, vented her irritation, and left. It was like a storm had blown through.
“You think she’ll be grateful that you did that?”
“Probably she’ll feel bad……”
“Right. If you know that, why help?”
It was clearly meddling. Even though he couldn’t even take care of himself, saying that Rhino had been too harsh and trying to console the crying girl was unsophisticated. Rhino felt like sneering at this action that showed his foolish attitude so plainly.
“But she was crying. And…… I ended up eavesdropping.”
“It wasn’t even on purpose, aren’t you frustrated?”
“Yeah, I feel like that’s not an emotion I dare to have.”
Bernard smiled awkwardly. It was a strange reaction.
“She’s probably venting her irritation to her friends about how you dared to butt in.”
“That might be……”
“Don’t you think you helped for nothing? Even if you act nice like that, no one will appreciate it.”
“It’s okay. My attitude definitely did something wrong too.”
It was an attitude as if he was enlightened about everything. Rhino felt a subtle interest in that. People his age would naturally be indignant or embarrassed about this kind of thing. Or they might have grumbled about trying to help for nothing.
“And from now on…… I hope you won’t.”
“What?”
“Someone liking you is an amazing thing.”
“It would be amazing for you.”
Even at the mockery, Bernard smiled silently. It was a smile without a speck of dust visible. At that, Rhino reflexively wanted to take back what he had blurted out.
“Yeah. For me, that’s a really impossible thing…… And confessing honestly like that is also cool. Anyway, she called you out secretly thinking of you too.”
“……So?”
“When you reject someone, say it kindly. It’ll be important for your reputation too.”
There were a few things Bernard was mistaken about. The point that Rhino McPherson doesn’t care about reputation, the point that his cranky personality was already famous, and the point that he originally doesn’t listen well to others. However, for the first time, Rhino found his words to be very meaningful.
“If I act like that?”
“……Hm?”
“If I act like that, what’s good for you?”
“Uh…… Um…… Nothing?”
Bernard made a troubled expression and fell into deep thought. Rhino looked down at him, who seemed a head shorter than himself, and twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Forget it, just accept my greeting.”
“Greeting?”
“You always avoid me. From now on, when I acknowledge you, wave properly.”
“With me?”
“Who am I talking to right now?”
Bernard, who had been blinking blankly, soon smiled gently. It was a smile showing no worries at all. The wind blew. His stuffy-looking bangs scattered, fully revealing his white forehead. Beyond the thick lenses, his dark green eyes could be seen clearly.
It was a face he had never seen before. It looked like spring snow that would melt at any moment. Rhino was at a loss for words and just quietly looked at that face. Strangely, one side of his chest felt like it was being squeezed tight…… a surging emotion arose.
“Yeah, I’ll greet you.”
He looked shy, and Rhino didn’t answer. After staring intently at his face for a while, he turned around abruptly. There had been such a time. Looking back, Rhino thought he had already fallen for Bernard at that moment.
“You’re always foolishly concerned about others. There was no one like that around me.”
“……Huh?”
“I was curious about how you try to understand others without blaming them even when you suffer because of it.”
“No, I’ve never done anything that grand……”
“No, Bernard.”
Feeling embarrassed, Bernard wriggled his caught fingers trying to pull them out, but Rhino didn’t let go of his hand. Looking up at his flushed, heated cheeks, Rhino tried his best to smile as benevolently as possible.
“Don’t care about the words of people who don’t recognize you.”
Then he kissed the back of his hand and whispered. Perhaps that breath tickled him, as Bernard’s fingertips flinched, but he still entrusted his hand to Rhino.
“……That’s difficult.”
Rhino’s life had been a winner’s life. It was a life where he’d never fallen behind anyone, and thanks to his decent family, he grew up affluently without lacking anything. Whether material things or people, he could always easily grasp what he wanted. In such a life, for the first time, there appeared a target that wouldn’t go as he wished.
Rhino sometimes found Bernard overwhelming. He wanted to treat him preciously, but his own ignorance felt like it would someday hurt Bernard. That’s why he always wanted to know more about him. And he wanted to let him know. How much he liked him, and how much he would continue to like him. Also, what a good person Bernard Weil was.
“Don’t forget. Even if everyone else turns away from you, I alone will like you.”
And so he hoped Bernard would smile once more.
aww pls let Rhino be the ML :((