Big Love from Ultra Deep Space ch8: The Shape of Friendship

It's precisely because you're so dear to me.

L-...
Long time no see~...

K-Kiho!? Are you okay!?
What happened to you?
Well~...

Um, I'm sorry...
that I didn't come the other day...
It's fine! Just sit down...!!

After what happened the other day,
it appears Anzu went to my other friends for advice...
They told me to eat lunch with them.

I couldn't exactly tell them I couldn't or that I didn't want to, so...
I'm sorry. After you agreed to eat with me and everything.
...No need to apologise.

Was today okay?
...I told them "I don't have a bento so I'm going to the school store"
and ran away just like that...
Aah...

She looks really exhausted...
...It's not good to run, is it?
I know that,
but she's become even more stifling than before since then...

And then...

...It's from Anzu...
Just from a mere glance, I saw a hell of a lot of text...

!!

Tissue
Tissue
...I don't know what to do anymore.

Even though I have a friend who loves me so much.
Maybe I'm the weird one for finding being with her painful.

Maybe it's my fault for being so cruel and running away all the time...

I'm just a coward who can't even speak her mind.
I'm just playing the victim...
Th-

That's wrong!!

You're not a coward...

There's lot of things we can't say
because we don't want to hurt others or ruin the mood.

But that's no excuse for them to drive you into your corner
and make light of your feelings like that, Kiho.

I hate hurting others and being hurt myself.
I know that feeling all too well.

...I'm sorry about the other day.
For forcing my way of thinking on you and troubling you.
But

whether it's making clear that you want to put some distance between you
or keeping things the way they are,
only you can make that decision, Kiho.

It takes courage no matter which you choose.
Either option could lead to suffering.
That's why

Lulu and I will watch over you!

The fact you've been worrying over this. The fact you didn't want to hurt your friend.
We know it more than anyone.

That's why...
Y'know, you're pretty cool, Terachii.

Eh!?
Right, Lulupoyo?
Yes!

Y'see,
when Lulupoyo said that stuff about connecting by understanding that we don't understand,
I was taken aback.

But I wasn't confident that I could do that myself...
so when Terachii said there are times when it doesn't work out,
I was honestly relieved.

Neither choice is necessarily the right one.
It's the fact you two thought so seriously about me

that made me the happiest.

p10

...I'll make my own decision
so that people won't make light
of my own feelings.

...Thanks, you two.

If there is anything you need, you can rely on us!
We will be your strength!
Ahaha.
I might take you up on that~

Where's the tape?

...There.

p11

Look at this, Ten-sama!
Not bad for my first try, do you not thi-...
Oh my!
I got kinda into it...

Amazing Decoration

You are quite skilled with your hands, Ten-sama.
You think so...? I guess I don't hate doing trivial work like this.

Where should I stick it...?
Yui, you done yet~?

Just wait a little longer!
Ah, hey, heads up...!

p12

...You okay?

Eh...?

Guess it wasn't sticky enough.
You mind if I stick this on with packing tape instead?
Ah, sure...

p13

Lulu, is there any packing tape over there?
Indeed there is!
Let us affix it posthaste!

...

...Is there something on my face?
Eh? Ah, no!

I thought you'd be way scarier, Teradate-san...
Eh?

Um... We figured you didn't like people talking to you...
Yeah...

...I used to be like that.

p14

But not anymore.
I'm happy that you're talking to me like this.

I may be getting full of myself, though...
...Th-

That's not true!
Yeah!!

...W-
Well... Lulu likes talking to people too, so

p15

if you want,
you can freely talk to us too.
Do you mind if we spoke to you guys too...?

That's perfectly fine!
Ah, then, how about this decoration?
Look! I think it's pretty cute...
My! How lovely!

Shall we all make them together?
Gladly! Let us do it, Ten-sama!
...Sure.

p16

Hah~...
Are you tired, Ten-sama?

That was practically the first time I've ever spoken to anyone in class...
I was so nervous...
I think your communication was splendid!

...I think it went well because I had you by my side, Lulu.

There's no way I could've done it by my-...
What!?
...

p17

?

It is nothing...
? Really...?
So, what did you wanna talk about?

Eh?

Is that Kiho...?

Q-Quick, hide, Lulu...!
Eh!?

p18

T-Ten-sama, peeking is such a shameful thing to do...!
But I'm worried about her...!

...There's
something I wasn't sure if I should say,
but I want you to hear it, Anzu.

Y'see...
...Ah...

So like,
didn't we say we'd get together and have Yamaoka-sensei solve those puzzles for us?
We need to go check up on...
Anzu!

p19

...I'm sorry for shouting,
but I need you to listen.

Y'see,
the distance you want between us

is stifling to me.

I do want to get along with you, Anzu.
But
if you don't like that you're not the special one among my friends
...then there's nothing I can do about that.

p20

When it comes to friends,
I can't choose just one of them to be my number one or something.
I don't want to hurt you, Anzu. I want to treasure you.
But

I want to treasure all my other friends in the same way.

...I don't understand.

p21

I don't get this at all!!

I'm...
I'm the one who likes you the most, Kiho!!

...Yeah.

...I'm sorry.

Ah.

p22

Terachii and Lulupoyo!

You're there, aren't you?
!? How did she know...?

Ah! Lulu! Your fins!
Aah!

You shouldn't take an interest in peeping!
S-Sorry...
My sincere apologies...

It's fine.
You were worried about me, right?

p23

But man~ That sure went down badly, huh!
Well... I had a feeling it would...

Sorry for worrying you, but I'm okay.
I've already talked to my other friends
about me and Anzu...

They both understood.
In fact, they were sorry for forcing us to get along.
Things might get awkward,
but they said they won't start hating either me or Anzu after all this time.

p24

...You've got some good friends.
Yeah! I sure do!
Truth be told, I wanted to get along with Anzu too.
I didn't want her to hate me...

But if things had stayed that way,
our friendship might've taken on an even worse shape and become ruined altogether someday.

I'm glad we made clear
the things we don't understand about each other.

p25

Personally, I feel kinda refreshed!
...Yes.

Ah, so like,
if it's okay with you two...
could we keep eating lunch together from now on?

We're still in the same group and all...
so it'd be awkward if we kept eating lunch together...!
Uwooah
Aah...

Also...
since you listened to my worries, I want to learn more about you two too.
I wanna become closer with you...

p26

Wait! That's embarrassing!!
Sorry! Um! You don't have to if it's a bother...!
It is fine!
I would like to become closer with you too, Kiho-sama!

...Yeah.
Me too.

I wanna be friends with you, Kiho.

Y'know...
I haven't made friends in this kinda way since grade school. It's making me blush...
Ufufu.
It does make one feel somewhat fidgety, doesn't it?

p27

...How cruel.
Why would you say that?

Ten-sama!

p28

Is something the matter?

...No.
Nothing at all.

p29

Hah~...

Why do we gotta go all the way to this remote place?
Shh! Not so loud.

Don't you know?
Lady Nejie has been infatuated with the 13th princess of Anukamula for ages.
I know that much.

p30

But isn't "Earth" that insignificant planet with low-level civilization?

Is there any need for such a large group to go there to kidnap the 13th princess of all things~...?

Oh?

p31

GYAAH!

If you have any complaints, how about I throw you overboard right here and now?

Lightening the load might get us to Earth sooner.

Urk...

M-My apologies, Your Majesty...!
Come on, let's go!

...Hmph.

p32

Those idiots know nothing about true value...

...Sorry to keep you waiting, Lulucielamo-sama.

I'll be there to pick you up shortly.

Warning