Utsukushii Kare/ My Beautiful Man [ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

Chapter-5: Chestnut [End]

                                   Translator: White Lotus

              

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When Hira learned that his cousin Naho-chan was getting divorced and returning to her parents' house, he was overcome with a profound sense of dizziness. Naho-chan's parents' house was here, the same house where Hira was currently living with Kiyoi. If Naho-chan was returning, then he and Kiyoi would have to leave this place. That meant that his cohabitation with Kiyoi was about to come to an end.

After finishing the conversation with his mother over the phone, Hira collapsed in the living room like a toy whose batteries had died.

The world before his eyes started to grow darkened. Ah, this day had finally come.

Through a miraculous turn of events, he and Kiyoi became lovers, as though as a result of his offering prayers to God. He thought God existed in this world, but it appeared that such a perfect story was too good to be true.

God had entered into the process of retrieving the happiness that had been inadvertently dispensed too liberally. First, his life together with Kiyoi would come to an end. Once the distance between them was created, Kiyoi might come to his senses and wonder why he was dating a guy like Hira. No, he would surely come to his senses. Hira might get dumped. No, he would definitely get dumped.

――…….It's over.

Hira felt like an evil spirit being crushed under the feet of a Niō guardian*. Nevertheless, even if it was for a short while, he had been able to become Kiyoi's lover. If he was told that this was the price he had to pay for that, he would have no choice but to accept it without complaint.

(T/N: "Niō" (仁王) translates to "Deva Kings", “Guardian Deities” or "Guardian Kings" in English. They are often depicted as fierce-looking warrior figures and are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha. Niō, in Japanese Buddhist mythology, protector of the Buddhist faith, who makes a dual appearance as the guardian on either side of temple gateways. Image:

.)

As night fell, Kiyoi returned home, only to discover him lying in the living room, lacking the energy to even turn on the lights. In a state of despair, Hira informed him about Naho-chan's situation, to which Kiyoi said something unexpected.

"There's no need for us to be separated. We'll continue to live together."

"Eh, but we're students and we don't have much money――"