Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 536 536: If Route: A Shelter Where Escape Is Allowed

At one in the morning, during the hour when everyone should have been sleeping peacefully, Kyouno Natsumi's bedroom door slowly opened with a faint sound.

Natsumi nervously poked out her small head and looked left and right like a squirrel leaving its nest, confirming that the hallway was empty.

Just as she had expected, everyone in the house had very regular daily routines. At most, Tohka would sotis wake up hungry and sneak into the kitchen to look for a midnight snack. At this hour, there was no way anyone should be awake.

Of course, that did not include a useless mber of society like herself.

Natsumi first let out a breath of relief, then could not help mocking herself in her heart.

She wrapped herself in a coat and carried a backpack on her shoulders. Inside were her spare clothes, which had no taste whatsoever, and the allowance she had quietly saved up because she had never had anywhere to spend it.

After confirming her luggage, Natsumi held her breath and tiptoed down the stairs.

When she reached the entrance and put on her shoes, Natsumi turned back and glanced at the house. Her eyes were filled with regret and guilt.

Goodbye, everyone… I'm a coward, but I'll disappear quietly. I won't drag you down anymore…

She pressed her lips together tightly, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door with trembling hands, as if afraid she would regret it in the next second.

A chill brushed against Natsumi's cheek.

Unlike the house, where warmth still remained, the world outside the door had already been dyed in the autumn night's cold. It was bleak and chilly.

At the doorway, an old woman holding a cane stood silently beneath the moonlight, like a still stone statue.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the old woman opened her eyes and showed a gentle smile.

"You are still awake… What is the matter, Natsumi?"

Natsumi froze awkwardly in place.

After a long while, she finally squeezed out a guilty smile.

"O-Obaa-chan…"

…

At one-twenty in the morning, under Natsumi's restless gaze, Yumi untied her apron and brought out a steaming bowl of rice noodles from the kitchen.

"Sorry, Natsumi… The kitchen happened to be out of ingredients, so this was all I could make."

"Ugh— It's fine, obaa-chan."

Looking at the midnight al in front of her, Natsumi's mouth twitched slightly. She touched her sowhat swollen stomach and worked hard to swallow the urge to burp.

For a mont, Natsumi could not help wanting to slap herself twice.

Of all the excuses she could have made, why did she have to say she was hungry and wanted to go to the convenience store to buy a midnight snack?

"What is wrong? Is it not to your taste?"

Seeing that Natsumi still had not touched her chopsticks, Yumi could not help asking worriedly.

"I…"

Natsumi opened her mouth, but stopped.

(I can't eat anymore! What I said earlier was an excuse I made up on the spot. I was actually trying to run away from ho. I'm truly very sorry!!)

Of course, she did not dare say any of that out loud.

If she had the courage to speak her mind so honestly, she would not have ended up shutting herself in her room and stopping school.

"…I'll eat."

After answering quietly, Natsumi closed her eyes in resignation, picked up her chopsticks, and began eating the noodles.

However, the nausea she expected did not co.

The smooth rice noodles slid into her mouth like flowing water. A fragrant, slightly sour aroma brushed over her tongue and nose, stirring Natsumi's appetite.

The chopsticks that she had originally intended to put down began moving faster.

Perhaps there was so ginger and garlic leaves in the soup. Natsumi felt as if she had soaked in a hot bath, warmth spreading through her whole body in a comfort she could not describe.

Yumi watched this scene quietly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.

"Ah…"

After drinking the last mouthful of soup, Natsumi could not help letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Are you full? If it is not enough…"

"I'm full, I'm full! It's enough! Thank you, obaa-chan!!"

Seeing that obaa-chan seed ready to make her another bowl, Natsumi hurriedly shook her head.

She did not have Tohka's confidence when it ca to the capacity of her stomach.

"That is good…"

Yumi did not insist. Looking at Natsumi across the table, she asked with concern,

"How have you been lately? Still awake this late… did you have a nightmare?"

Hearing that, Natsumi's expression stiffened slightly.

The contents of her dream surfaced from the depths of her heart on their own.

—I do not need a useless child like you. Get out of here!

"That's not it. I've always slept late."

Saying sothing she did not an, Natsumi avoided Yumi's gaze and changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

"Obaa-chan, what about you? Why are you still awake so late?"

"Nothing much… I woke up suddenly halfway through sleeping, so I thought I would go out and get so air. Then… I saw my granddaughter actually coming out of her room… I am truly relieved."

"Ahaha…"

Seeing Yumi's relieved expression, Natsumi felt her heart twist in pain. All she could do was give a faint smile and brush it off.

"Natsumi…"

Yumi called Natsumi's na softly.

As always, her eyes were gentle and kind. But for so reason, Natsumi could vaguely hear a trace of helplessness in her voice.

"I am your family… and this is your ho. If you run into anything painful or unhappy, you can tell obaa-chan at any ti. If you feel obaa-chan is too old to talk to, you can also go to Yoshino, Tohka, or the others… If you need ti to calm down, obaa-chan is willing to wait for you… But if you leave without saying anything… you, everyone else, and obaa-chan… we will all be hurt."

"I—"

Hearing Yumi's words, Natsumi could not answer.

Her instincts wanted her to make up an excuse, but she quickly realized that her plan had already been seen through.

No, that was not surprising.

Natsumi understood very well that her lies these past few days had never been convincing. Everyone had simply been worried about her feelings and had not exposed her.

The only person she had fooled was herself.

"I'm sorry…"

Natsumi lowered her head in sha and let out a voice as small as a mosquito's.

Yumi did not scold Natsumi. She only asked in confusion

"Why… did you want to leave?"

After hesitating for a mont, a pained expression appeared on Natsumi's face.

"I… don't have the right to stay here."

To be honest, before Yumi took her in, Natsumi had never held even a trace of optimistic expectation for her future or her life.

She was timid. Weak. She had neither a striking appearance nor the ability to communicate with strangers.

The reason she had been able to et Yoshino and the others back then was simply that their social circle at the ti had been very small.

If Yumi had not appeared and adopted everyone, Natsumi surely would have been the last one left in the hospital, then been sent to an orphanage or so similar facility because no one wanted to adopt her.

Then, did Natsumi hate her current life?

It was exactly the opposite.

In Natsumi's eyes, this ho was far too warm and peaceful. It was so beautiful that she often wondered whether she was actually living in a dream.

And precisely because of that, a question would sotis rise in Natsumi's heart.

Can I really stay here?

She had no strengths, only a whole pile of flaws.

Natsumi felt like one of those poorly raised and unattractive goldfish in a pet shop. Only if she was bundled together with other goldfish as a free extra would anyone possibly keep her.

That was why, even though she was bad at socializing, even though her heart was filled with fear and reluctance, Natsumi still chose to go to school.

She tried to prove that she could beco a healthy, normal person.

She tried to prove that she had the right to keep staying in this ho.

It was not as if she had never worked hard.

After she was placed in a different class from Yoshino and Mukuro, she also tried to interact with her classmates.

For example, she hung rchandise and accessories from the gas she liked in obvious places on her body, waiting for soone with the sa interests to talk to her. (TL:bocchi ahh move)

As a result, the teacher found them and lectured her.

Or she would listen in on the topics popular among the small groups in class, go ho to look them up, and then try to join in.

As a result, by the next day, the topic had already gone out of date.

Reality proved that without Yoshino, Mukuro, and the others beside her, soone with social anxiety like Natsumi could not make friends at all. Even when she occasionally had contact with others, she would naturally be ignored and pushed aside because she could not face them and had no topic to talk about.

Ridiculously enough, the only ti Natsumi beca the center of attention in class was when she grew so nervous during roll call questioning that she fainted.

Even though the family paid her school fees, in the end she accomplished nothing.

After realizing how useless she was, Natsumi shut herself away and stopped going outside.

And after returning ho, her initial unease gradually turned into a very real fear that wrapped around her heart.

She was afraid of her family.

Afraid they would be disappointed in her.

Afraid that one day, they would lose patience with her and throw her away.

So—

"So… instead of that, I thought I should leave by myself first…"

Only when those words slipped out did Natsumi understand why she had wanted to run away from ho.

Rather than be hurt while waiting to be abandoned, she would abandon this place first before she was hurt.

After realizing how awful her own thoughts were, Natsumi showed a smile that looked as though she was about to cry, but no tears ca out.

"…"

After that, the living room fell into a silent stillness.

Only the sound of the clock's second hand echoed by their ears.

After who knew how long, Yumi let out a deep sigh and said,

"Natsumi… co here."

"…Yes."

Seeing Yumi beckon to her, Natsumi did not resist. She nodded and closed her eyes in resignation.

So it's finally here…

After realizing how dark and selfish her own thoughts were, even Natsumi felt deeply disappointed in herself.

At this point, whether obaa-chan hit her, scolded her, or drove her out of the house, Natsumi would have no complaints.

However, the pain she expected never ca.

Natsumi only felt her body tilt, then she was pulled into a warm and peaceful embrace.

"…Obaa-chan?"

"Silly child…"

Yumi stroked Natsumi's head with heartache and said apologetically,

"I am sorry, Natsumi. Obaa-chan did not pay enough attention to you… and let you suffer so many grievances."

"No! That's not true!"

Buried in Yumi's arms, Natsumi desperately shook her head.

"It's my fault… Obaa-chan spent so much money on , but I didn't study properly… I couldn't beco soone independent… I clearly wanted to repay you… but I can't do anything. I only keep dragging everyone down."

"You silly child… When obaa-chan adopted all of you… it was not because I wanted you to support in old age…"

Yumi sighed helplessly and spoke softly.

"There is no need to put so much pressure on yourself. To obaa-chan… watching you grow up safe and healthy is already the happiest thing."

"But…"

Sensing Natsumi's unease and confusion, Yumi smiled and asked,

"Natsumi, do you still want to go to school? You do not need to worry about all those ssy things. Tell your truest thoughts."

Her truest thoughts.

After hesitating for a while, Natsumi finally gathered her courage and said through sobs,

"I don't want to go… I've already had enough… of school…"

"…Mm. I understand."

Yumi nodded, and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"R-Really… is that okay…?"

Seeing that obaa-chan did not object, Natsumi felt happy, but also uneasy.

"Teacher said… If I don't graduate from high school, forget college… I'll even have a lot of trouble finding work…"

"It is all right… I know that you are actually a very smart child, Natsumi. Your heart is simply delicate, and you are a little lacking in confidence."

Rubbing Natsumi's soft cheeks, Yumi spoke with certainty.

"Going to school, graduating, finding a job, or continuing to study… Those are roads most people choose, but that does not an there is only one road in the world. It also does not an that if you do not walk that road, your future will beco completely dark. Your life, Natsumi… is still very long."

"Really… is it okay?"

Seeing that Natsumi was still clearly lost, Yumi smiled bitterly and hugged her a little tighter.

"Natsumi… this is your ho. If you feel that going to school cannot bring you confidence or growth, then it is fine to stop going."

"If you feel pain, you are allowed to run away."

"But… there is one thing. Just one thing… Please promise obaa-chan."

Hearing that, Natsumi involuntarily lifted her head.

What she saw was Yumi's kind face, full of a gentle plea.

"Do not deny yourself." (TL:ahhhh obaa-channn)

Hearing those words, Natsumi's expression went blank.

Then, gradually, tears as large as beans overflowed from her eyes.

"Uu… huhu… Aaaah…"

TL:Did I ntion I love Natsumi the most out of every Spirits?