Chapter 7:

Revelation

Mind Reader's


As the both of us continued making our way through the aquarium, I couldn't help but hear the happy voices of children around us and upon laying my eyes on Hatomi, I could clearly tell that she was just as excited as them.

"You should smile more"

She glanced over at me and tilted her head as if I had said something completely unheard off "What?"

"I'm just saying that you should smile more... Sorry if I offended you"

"No... I'm just surprised that you said that, that's all"

"H-Huh?"

"At first, you really didn't seem to like me and now you seem a lot more at ease with me. I find that quite strange myself"

Hearing her say that, I let out a sigh and scratched the back of my head "You do know that at first you just connected to me without even asking, right?"

"Yes, so?"

"Who wouldn't be wary of someone who could do such a thing?"

"... You have a point"

I let out a sigh and simply continued looking at the tank "I'm just saying that you should really try to express yourself a bit more... If you don't feel comfortable doing it in front of others, you can always practice with me"

"..."

"Hatomi?"

"Am I not being a bother to you?"

"A bother? Nonsense. It's nice hanging out with someone who doesn't have anything to hide"

"What?"

I looked down at my hand and sighed "Ever since what I experienced yesterday with being able to see people's deep dark thoughts that can be found in the unconsciousness, I can't help but see for once that they aren't being true to themselves"

"Just knowing that the other person could be thinking such dark thoughts makes me feel not afraid... But I can't trust others" "Luckily enough, with both Tetsuya and Chitose, they don't have such negative thoughts about me, but even then, I can only wonder that there's a limit to what I can hear and feel"

I glanced over at Hatomi and chuckled to myself "But with you, the times when I was connected to you for those few moments, you didn't have anything to hide. You were like an open book, one that told the reader absolutely everything before even buying it"

"That's a weird comparison..."

"I-I know... I don't need to telling me that" "Besides, you have a weird naming sense yourself"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were the one who decided to call these abnormalities 'Sub-powers', didn't you?"

"It's better then that comparison you did"

"No, it isn't"

She shrugged her shoulders and continued looking at the tanks, meanwhile, I let out a sigh and simply continued staring at the animals swimming in the big tank.

"I'm not lying to you... Ever since what happened with me interacting with Sumiko, the voice of the man I passed by, all the voices I've heard till now make me feel uncomfortable, but with you..." I snuck a glance over at her and shook my head "With you, I don't need to worry. You'll simply tell it to me in the face without a care in the world"

"Let's go, Natsuo"

She grabbed my hand once more and we continued walking around the aquarium until we arrived at the penguin exhibit which was the last thing on our list to go and see.

As we stepped onto the slow moving conveyor belt, I looked over at the exhibit of the penguins and noticed that they were being fed by one of the employees.

The way they walked towards the person in question was more then enough to make the people around us start saying that they looked so cute and what not.

"Natsuo"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Katabuchi-san will confess to you?"

"Huh? Where is this coming from?"

"A person can't hold in their feelings for a long time... They're will come a time where they will simply want to let them all out" "If she's been holding them in for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if she were to confess to you tomorrow"

"I don't think-"

"You know that it will"

Before I could say a word, she spoke up with the same monotone voice. I had heard Chitose's deep thoughts. I knew that she was in love with me, but I didn't want that... We had been friends for so long, but on top of that, I didn't feel the same about her.

I was in love with Sumiko, but ever since I heard her thoughts, the love fell apart. There was no one who I currently found attractive... At least I didn't know if I was in love..."

"I'll just handle it when the time comes"

"I hope you do. Make sure to reject her in the kindest way possible so that you're friendship won't break"

"I know..."

I let out a sigh and as we enjoyed the view of the penguins swimming, eating and what not, in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think about Hatomi's words.

"I'll solve everything and give her a proper answer... It's the least I can do for her"

Once we left the aquarium, the both of us started making our way towards her house to end the day and as I was doing so, out of nowhere, my phone started ringing.

"Sorry... Give me a minute"

I grabbed my phone and upon looking at the name, I couldn't hep but feel like the moment that I was expecting came faster then I had anticipated.

"Who is it?"

"It's Chitose"

"..." She glanced at the name and upon doing so, she let out a sigh and simply continued walking towards her house.

"Hey!"

"Make sure to explain it to her" "I'll see you tomorrow"

With those words, she left me and started heading towards her house. As she did so, I answered the call and called out to her "Hey there, Chitose"

"A-Are you free right now, Natsuo?"

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"C-Could we meet up at the nearby park?"

"Sure, I'll go there right now"

"Thank you"

With those parting words, she hung up the phone and as the silence enveloped me once more, I let out a sigh and couldn't help but feel like I had been hit by a car or something.

"I really don't want to do this, but if I don't... I'll just get her hopes up"

I took in a deep breath and started making my way towards the park where we would go to from time to time just to relax and enjoy the weather.

After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at the park and looked around the area just in case she had been waiting here for me. As I did so, I noticed a lone figure sitting in a bench.

"Sorry about being a bit late"

"D-Don't worry about it" Chitose looked over at me and upon noticing that I was still in my school clothes, she called out to me "Were you out?"

"Yeah... Hatomi asked me to accompany her for something"

"I see..."

I let out a sigh and proceeded to take a seat "What did you need from me?"

"The both of you are starting to get along, huh?"

"Y-You could say that..." "I can't really say that the whole reason we met was because of her power"

"She's both pretty and smart... It's no surprise that you would get along with her"

"What does that have to do with me getting along with her? She's a nice person once you get to know her"

"Yeah... She does seem like a nice person"

"..."

A moment of silence befell the both of us as we ended that conversation, but soon after, she seemed to have started heading towards the matter at hand "Natsuo?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you... For a while now, I've always loved you" 

"Chitose..."

"I want to be with you. I want to be by your side not as a friend but as your partner" She looked up at me and tears had started running down her face.

I could tell that it must've taken her a lot of courage to say those words "Will you be my boyfriend?"

They were the words that any guy would love to hear from a girl such as herself, but I didn't want a fake love... I wanted to be with someone that I could love just as equally.

I knew that my answer would make her sad,, but I wanted to answer with my real feelings at all costs "I'm sorry... But I can't"

"..."

"You're a nice girl, you're pretty and any guy would be happy to be with you, but I really don't like anyone... The only one I did love was Sumiko" "I'm sorry that I can't reciprocate you're feelings"

Yet another moment of silence befell the both of us and before I knew it, she had started crying her eyes out. As soon as I tried to calm her down, she got up and jolted out of her seat and started running away from me.

Seeing her fleeting image disappear, I couldn't help but feel sick from what I had said, but at the same time, I wanted to respect my own wishes as well.

"I'm sorry... Chitose. I hope that you find someone that will love you just as you wanted me to love you"

-june-
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