Chapter 44 – Pursuer
Novel Title: 跨越千万星辰 (Across Thousands of Stars)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 泽田纲吉 (Sawada Tsunayoshi -MC), 六道骸 (Rokudo Mukuro -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Reborn, who was originally discussing the board’s situation, paused when the reminder tone of a message could be heard. He then displayed an expression that could be counted as gloating, “A text message.”
Without needing to look, Tsuna could guess who it was. He smiled wryly and picked up the nearby phone, sliding open the screen. As expected, he saw the phone number that had become familiar over the past week.
“Don’t look so down about it. It’s rare for a girl to pursue you. Why not graciously accept?” As if appeased by Tsuna’s troubled expression, Reborn gave a smile of good spirits. “After all, it’s spring. It’s understandable.”
What does spring have to do with this? Is there a connection at all?
Haru Miura is a recent graduate and a fresh member of society. Her father is a university professor. She’s currently an intern at a real estate company, which coincidentally has ties to Chief Kawahira.
The above is what Haru Miura told Tsuna in order to understand each other better.
She’s truly a girl filled with youthful energy. She’s 22 years old. A prime of age. Even her text messages are filled with various emoticons that Tsuna can’t quite understand. It was truly trendy…
This gave Tsuna a strong feeling of the generation gap between them.
“Why would she be interested in me, who’s 11 years older than her?” It’s his first time being pursued by a girl. Yet, Tsuna doesn’t feel happy. He feels troubled instead. But she hasn’t explicitly said “Please be my boyfriend” or “I like you” in concrete terms. Thus, Tsuna can’t express his stance directly.
He should have just casually mentioned having a girlfriend back then.
Even now, he can only put on a merchant-like facade that speaks eloquently when he clearly realises if ‘this is for business purpose.’ Yet, facing an open and enthusiastic individual, Tsuna can’t bring himself to reject or deceive her.
It’s such a headache.
The latest text message is to urge Tsuna to fulfil his promise to have dinner. The destination is unexpectedly a cake shop… Oh my god, how out of place would a man in his thirties look in a place like that.
“To be honest, you look at least five years younger than your actual age.” Raising an eyebrow, Reborn says so while shrugging his shoulders. “Come on, do me a favour. You’ve been without a girlfriend for 33 years. You’re the longest single person I’ve ever known.”
Do you have to keep hitting me where it hurts…
Having already declined twice, perhaps older individuals tend to show more leniency towards those much younger. Tsuna feels a bit reluctant to see the always spirited face reveal a despondent expression. In the end, it’s just a meal… right? Or rather, pastry… at best.
So he responds with two words, “Sure thing.” The plan is set for Sunday. It’s been a little over a week since their encounter. Tsuna finally understands why Haru Miura made a special trip to the cake shop on Wednesdays.
“As for Wednesdays, it’s ‘Haru’s Day of Gratitude’. So you can eat cake freely on this day.”
He completely doesn’t understand the logic behind this. But out of the habit of not interfering with others’ lifestyle choices, Tsuna simply replied, “I see.”
Haru Miura invited Tsuna to a shop where she has a membership. This shop, called Andrew’s Confections, is a nationally renowned chain. It was a name even Tsuna had heard of.
In addition to a variety of cake types, this shop offers a DIY service specifically for VIP members. In other words, as long as you contact them in advance, VIP members can come to the store and personally make cakes on the weekends. There’s also a cake master guiding you along the way.
This service is obviously quite popular among women. With various materials at their disposal and expert guidance, they can create delicious and visually appealing cakes themselves – it’ll be a fantastic experience.
Tsuna stood amidst a group of young girls with his face full of awkwardness.
He held a stainless steel bowl. But it was already large enough to be considered a basin. It was filled with many eggs. His current task was to use an egg beater to mix the egg whites and yolks evenly.
Could someone please tell me why all the aprons provided by this shop are so cute?
With pink trim and a pattern of evenly distributed red bunnies, Tsuna had asked somewhat awkwardly when Haru Miura handed him one of these, “Are there any other options?”
“This is the only remaining one.” Haru Miura took out another one. It was completely covered in peach hearts. It was so bright and flashy that it was almost blinding.
Tsuna was left speechless. Alright, I’ll go with the bunnies.
Naturally, those who arrived later had no other options. Haru Miura smoothly put on the peach heart apron. Somehow it didn’t seem overly flamboyant on her. She was clearly accustomed to this kind of activity. She skillfully goes through the various steps without needing the cake master’s reminders. Tsuna, who had never engaged in pastry-making, obediently pitched in.
As a single man, Tsuna was already quite mindful of his health. He wouldn’t blindly eat takeout, nor would he only stock his fridge with fast food. However, living alone, he inevitably preferred simplifying complex matters. In other words, rather than spending half a day and effort to beat eggs, Tsuna felt it was more economical to spend a few hundred yen and buy a cake directly. It’s delicious and saves effort.
Realising he had such thoughts, Tsuna couldn’t help but lament. He truly is lacking in some common sense. It’s not surprising he’s not favoured by girls.
After baking a sponge cake, various fresh fruit pieces were placed on top according to your preference. Then, another layer of sponge cake was added. A thick layer of cream was also spread on the surface. The next step is where imagination comes into play. You should decorate your cake according to your personal choice.
“Um… for piping, what flavour do you think is good?” Haru Miura raised her head to seek Tsuna’s opinion. “How about the strawberry flavour?”
He didn’t really mind any. But Tsuna replied, “Chocolate, I guess.”
“Huh? Tsunayoshi-san likes chocolate flavour?” After asking, Haru Miura thought for a moment and abandoned the idea of using cream for piping. She shifted to making chocolate sauce instead. The clueless Tsuna realised that his words had led to more steps and immediately regretted it, “Sorry, I made things complicated.”
“Not at all. Using chocolate for piping is actually easier.” She answered with a smile, revealing the gentle charm unique to girls and the vigour enjoyed by the young.
She evenly poured the chocolate sauce, which had become a thick liquid, onto the cake. She then decorated it with various chocolate products on top. Haru Miura finally sprinkled frost-like powdered sugar over it. They then put their cakes in the refrigerator to let them set faster.
“It’ll solidify faster this way.” She announced sagely, which was actually true. It didn’t take much time. Soon, they were able to sit at the table with their formed cakes, ready to enjoy them.
“How is it? Is it delicious?” Her tone held apparent anticipation as Haru Miura nervously watched Tsuna cut a small piece of cake and put it in his mouth, chewing it before swallowing.
“Um, it’s really delicious.” It wasn’t just a courtesy. The cake did taste really good. Tsuna’s gaze shifted to Haru Miura’s plate. “Aren’t you eating?”
However, Haru Miura didn’t pick up her fork. Instead, she sat up straight. Her posture looking serious. “Tsunayoshi-san.”
“Yes?”
“What type of girl do you like?” As she asked this question, even the cheerful and confident Haru Miura blushed slightly. Her youthful skin looking as lovely as an apple.
Inwardly, Tsuna whispered, ‘Finally, it’s here.’ He put down his fork, composed his expression, and earnestly returned her sincerity with similar sincerity. “Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Never thought about it?” Haru Miura repeated, perhaps due to her expression of astonishment and disappointment, Tsuna felt a sense of guilt rise within him. He quickly continued, “I’ve liked a girl before, she’s a… Well, she’s very gentle. A bit slow in some ways unexpectedly. But very understanding and considerate… like that.”
“So, you like girls who are gentle and understanding?” Haru Miura stared at Tsuna’s face with intense focus, not wanting to miss any subtle change in expression. “Do you want to spend your life with someone like that? Have you ever considered… other types? Like someone more outgoing and lively?”
How should I answer this…
Even though he found this conversation quite awkward, Tsuna had no intention of brushing her off. She was a 22-year-old girl who mustered the courage to express her feelings to him. This soft, beautiful sentiment should be cherished.
After a moment of contemplation, Tsuna addressed Haru Miura seriously, “When it comes to a lifelong partner, I haven’t really made specific character projections. But I believe that to journey through life together, there needs to be mutual support and understanding. You should be able to take care of each other and rely on each other in daily life.”
He paused, trying to find a better explanation, “Maybe it’s due to my age, or perhaps it’s my personality. I don’t think love is solely about romance. It should encompass patience and tolerance. While I’ve heard that loving someone means loving everything about them, I don’t think that’s love. At least not as I understand it. That’s more like obsession, akin to a fever. Falling in love with someone is a beautiful thing, especially during the hardships of life.”
“But precisely because of that, holding onto it is even harder than life itself. I believe that as long as you can love a certain part of someone and accept the parts you don’t like, that’s where the greatness of love lies. That’s why I hope my partner can understand and accept me.”
Perhaps these words were too complex. Haru Miura showed a slightly puzzled expression, “But… how do you distinguish that?”
Tsuna chuckled helplessly, “I don’t know either. Maybe only time can verify it. Aside from that, I’m not sure.”
Haru Miura fell silent for a moment. Then, she raised her head and met Tsuna’s gaze firmly. She said, “Can I give it a try? I… like Tsunayoshi-san.”
“Haru, we’ve only just met. Perhaps you’re just feeling a bit infatuated at the moment,” Tsuna said with a gentle smile. But his kindness wasn’t tinged with any romantic sentiment. He tried to convey his thoughts as delicately as possible, “I’m a boring man and not suited for you.”
“Tsunayoshi-san has the right to reject my affection, just as I have the right to like you,” Haru Miura furrowed her eyebrows. Her face displayed the tenacity characteristic of her age.
In an instant, Tsuna felt as if he saw the shadow of another person. Someone who looked at him with just as much determination, as if unwilling to surrender to anything, saying, “I like you.”
Haru Miura continued with a resolute voice, “Why are you so sure that we’re not suitable? You won’t even give me a chance to try. That’s unfair.”
“It’s only fair, miss.”
A third voice descended as if from the sky, with a pleasing tone that brought to mind the soft hum of a breeze through leaves. Its owner gracefully pulled out an empty chair from under the table with an uninvited yet composed air. He placed his hands on the table with an utterly charming and polite smile.
“I’ve reserved this person long ago. You’re a bit late.”
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*Author’s Note: Oh, Rokudo Mukuro, you finally show yourself. -YXF
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*Translator’s Note: Mukuro is back and ‘kills’ his love rival smoothly😏. -K
☝🏻Fanart of MukuroXTsuna
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