Big Love from Ultra Deep Space ch7: What Lies Beyond Not Understanding

What wanes, yet is full.

I appear to have lost my way.
Do you have a moment?

...?

...Um?
Ah.
S-Sorry.

Do you know where I can find the student council office?
Yes, I know where that is.

Please go up the stairs up ahead and head for the third floor.
Then take a left and you will find the student council office straight ahead.
Oh.

I've come here from pretty far away.
Fufu.
I can understand not being familiar with this place.

...Does that uniform mean you are from another school?
Yes.
I'm from Tsukishiro Academy's student council.

You've probably heard about the culture festival thing, right?
Ah!
I'm here for a meeting regarding that.

I hope this joint culture festival comes to fruition...
Yes, indeed!

Thank you for telling me where to go.
I'd better go now. I don't want to keep everyone waiting.
Sure.

I hope we'll meet again.

Yes! Again...

...
Lulu!

I'm back. Sorry for the wait.
It is fine!
Thank you for picking it up for me!

I did some thinking on the way back.
How about hamburger steak for dinner tonight?
Eh!?
That would make me happy!!

I shall assist with the kneading!
Thanks.

Wah~ Cute!!

Look at this! Pretty high quality, huh?
Wah
Man, that's good!

You should try it on after school.
Eh~?
Ahaha
How adorable.
...

Ah.
Should we have them show us too?
Eh?
No... I-I'm good...!

Is that so...?
It is...

Yesterday... I said I'd make some friends, but...

How does one even make friends...?

Spent the entire day thinking about this.

I've never tried making friends intentionally before.
It always just kinda happened up until now...

Even after Lulu was so considerate of me,
unlike back then, I've been actively avoiding getting involved with others, so this is a tall hurdle...

Ah~ Now that I'm conscious of it, I dunno what to do...
Hah~
Are you okay, Ten-sama?
That's what you said yesterday!!!

Why are you avoiding me!?
Some kind of argument...?
Are they okay...?

No... I'm not avoiding you or anything...

You totally are!!
Why wouldn't you eat lunch with me yesterday!?

p10

Like I said...

I just want to be alone from time to time...
The heck? Then what's today's excuse?
Today is... erm...

Our eyes met...
Aah!!

p11

Sorry, sorry! Were you looking for me!?
Eh?
Um...

It totally slipped my mind! We made plans to talk today, didn't we!?

Ten-sama.
Was today not the day of our discussion?
!

...Oh yeah! That's right!
Sorry. It slipped my mind too.

phew...

p12

Sorry, An. I have plans with these two, so... I'll be off.
Wait...

Sorry! Catch you later!

...

Thank you
soooo much!!

I-It is fine.
Sorry we couldn't step in sooner...
Not at all!! You were a huge help!!

p13

I'm Kurikuma Kiho from Class I!
You're first years too, right?

Class I... That's the special class.
I'm Teradate Ten from Class E.
My name is Lulucielamo Mocophishim Klasslamonira.
Ooh... What a gorgeous name...

What should I call you two?
You can call me Kiho!
I'm fine with whatever...
You may address me however you see fit too.

In that case,
Terachii and Lulupoyo it is!
Poyo...!!
That sounds awfully familiar...
Yay~

p14

Should we have dragged you away just like that?
...Or would you rather we not ask about what happened?
Ah...

...If you're willing to listen, I think I'd like to tell you...

That girl just now... Her name's An, by the way.
We became friends upon entering high school
and we're in the same group too, so we're pretty close, but...

...How should I put this...
Um...

she's been really stifling, so to speak...

p15

Whatever I do, she wants it to be the two of us...
Whenever I pair up with other girls in class, she gets in a really foul mood...
She's like, "I don't wanna be with anyone but my number one special friend!"...

It wasn't like that at first, but it's been escalating lately,
leading to what you saw just now...
Oh my...

I thought about discussing this with the other friends in my group,
but it felt like I'd be talking behind her back so I chickened out.
I'm not sure what to do...

p16

Have you told An-sama about how you feel, Kiho-sama...?
No... Not yet...

In that case,
you should try conveying your feelings honestly with her just once.

As someone
who struggles to find an understanding with others...
I think the important thing is to understand that you "don't understand".

Of course, it would be best if we could all understand each other,
but just because we don't does not mean it is all over.

p17

By accepting that there are things we don't understand,
we can connect with others.

...You're right.
I've...

been holding back how I feel because I didn't wanna make a big deal out of it.
But that
might just be running away from the problem instead of facing it...

p18

I'll try talking things out properly with An.
Dunno how it'll go down, though...

...There are also people

who won't accept that there are things they don't understand...

There are people who'll throw everything away
and break it all because they don't understand!

p19

It's fine if not understanding is all it is.
What if conveying those honest feelings of yours
leads you to being cornered by your friend, Kiho?

There are times when not understanding does mean it's all over...

Hmm...
Erm~...

p20

Thanks for giving this such serious thought, you two!
I think I'll try thinking for myself a little more too.
Hah

So like, I got a favor to ask...
Would you eat lunch with me for the time being?
I'm cool with that...
Of course!

Man~ I feel bad about interrupting your couple time...
Kiho-sama!!
!?

Ten-sama and I are not like that...!
Really? But you're engaged, right?
That is true, but...!

p21

...
Th-...

...
...
This is awkward...!!

We haven't spoken a word to each other since lunch break...!
I didn't say anything because I thought it might make things awkward,
and now things have gotten really awkward...!!

p22

Why did I have to go and say that...?
Denying what Lulu said.

By accepting that there are things we don't understand,
we can connect with others.

I
couldn't do that.

I couldn't protect what I held dear.
I couldn't accept that there were things I didn't understand.

That's why I got all defiant like some child...

p23

Even so, I don't like this vibe...
If things stay like this with Lulu,

we won't be able to understand each other...
Hah...

...L-

Lulu!! I'm sorry!!
!?

I'm sorry for making things so awkward!
I get it now.
Even if...

p24

Even if there are things I can't understand about you,

I want to properly understand the things I "don't understand".

So... even now is fine.
Let me speak...

...Me too.
I would like to talk with you too, Ten-sama...

p25

...Long ago,
I was involved in a situation not too dissimilar to Kiho's.

I couldn't understand.
...I don't think I even tried.
And it ended in the worst possible way.

I was so focused on "I want people to understand me",
that I never put in the effort to maintain relationships with people even if they didn't understand.

p26

That's why your words struck a nerve, Lulu...
I'm really sorry for saying
such a spiteful thing.
!!

Please raise your head...!

I said what I did one-sidedly too.
What I said
...was just an ideal.

If you had not said anything, Ten-sama,
I would not have noticed the possibility that I might make Kiho-sama suffer.
That's not...

p27

It takes courage to convey your own feelings.
Sometimes, not conveying them
becomes a way to protect yourself.

You say your remarks were spiteful, Ten-sama,
but it is only because you had been hurt by similar circumstances.
You only said those words so that Kiho-sama would not be hurt in the same way.

You're praising me a little too much...
No!

You are the one who is deprecating yourself too much, Ten-sama!

p28

Even now, Ten-sama,
you are trying to understand
the things you "don't understand" between us, are you not?

That makes me
really happy!

...You're amazing, Lulu.

p29

I
love that about you.

...Heh...?

I really respect you...
...A-Ah!
I am truly grateful...!

That surprised me...!
Tomorrow...

p30

I'll try talking to Kiho again.
This time,
I should be able to understand her feelings better.
...Yes!
I am sure it will be fine!

October 21 - Tuesday

p31

Oh.
It's Terachii.
We're heading to the rooftop. Should we swing by your class to pick you up?

How kind~
"I'll be fine"... and send.

!?

Eh!? What's this!?
You spooked me!!!
Kiho~
Let's all eat lunch together~!

...Eh?

p32

...An's been pretty lonely, y'know?

She came to us for advice,
saying "I think Kiho's avoiding me~" and the like.

Well, she's a bit of an oddball,
but she's cute when she's jealous.
Try not to be too cruel to her.

p33

...I-
I...

Kiho...

Let's eat lunch together, okay...?

...Sure.
Alright...
!

p34

Nice one! Good for you, An.
We were pretty lonely without you too, Kiho!
Yeah, I know!

...Kiho's late.
I got a reply from her just now, but...
Indeed...

I wonder what happened...

Warning