Utsukushii Kare/ My Beautiful Man [ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

Chapter-1; PART-7: He is Beautiful

             

                                      Translator: White Lotus

                           
                                               

                                                     ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈

     

Following two months of voting, the magazine published a list of the 50 candidates who would move on to the final round, and Kiyoi was listed as placing in the top 10, ranking 8th.

"Eh, Kiyoi. Why aren't you going today?"

On Saturday after school, Kiyoi had turned down Shirota's invitation to hang out.

"Wait. Today, it's my girlfriend's friends, not I, who are inviting you."

"Don't bring that up at the last minute. I'm busy today."

"No, wait, please. Even if it's just for a little while, it's fine. My girlfriend's senior is the one who wants to meet you. If you canceled at the last minute, it would make her look bad. And I'll lose my face too."

Shirota begged, and Kiyoi seemed bored as he tilted his head.

"Then, change the date. Next week or something."

"Okay! Okay! I'll ask, hold on a minute."

Shirota made a phone call to his girlfriend.

"It's me. It's about today. Sorry, he can't make it today."

As Hira was close to Shirota, he overheard the girl's voice asking, "En, why?" on the other end of the phone. Shirota apologized, then offered to change it to next week and asked whether she would be okay with it. One of his girlfriend's seniors who were nearby must have taken over the phone, because Shirota suddenly started speaking more formally.

"Ah, I'm really sorry. Kiyoi? Yes, he's here. Please wait a minute."

Saying that, Shirota handed the phone to Kiyoi.

"Kiyoi, talk to her."

"Why?"

"Just say sorry for having to cancel today's appointment."

In a split second, Kiyoi's eyes turned icy. Hira anticipated the worst because he had a bad feeling about the situation.

"Why should I apologize to some woman I don't even know?"

When he noticed that Kiyoi seemed to be annoyed, Shirota hastily began to behave in a modest manner.

"Ah, no, it's just for appearances."

"I don't want to! She's the one who wants to meet me, doesn't she? I truly don't care if we don’t meet. If she has a problem with it, then she can get angry all she wants."

After saying everything bluntly, Kiyoi walked through the turnstile at the station.

As Hira watched Kiyoi's merciless back recede into the distance, he heard a sigh from behind him. When he turned around, he sensed an inevitable awkwardness permeating the atmosphere. While still holding his phone in his hand, Shirota muttered with a grimace: "She hung up on me." She must have overheard the conversation just now. Served him right.

"That sucks. I've got a bad image now."

"Momo-chan has very high self-esteem. She might dump you."