CM Chapter 41

Chapter 41 – Confession

Chapter 2, Part 8.1

Novel Title: ひとりじめ (Completely Mine)

Author：椎崎 夕 (Shiizaki You)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 細川 湊 (Hosokawa Minato -MC) & 荻原 浩志 (Ogiwara Koushi -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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The destination Yoshiharu told the taxi driver was a business hotel near Minato’s apartment, close to the nearest station.

“Yoshiharu-kun? This is a hotel…”

“Yeah. I’m staying here tonight.”

Prompted by Yoshiharu, Minato grabbed his crutch and bag and entered through the front door.

Perhaps due to the limited space, the hotel itself seemed to have a compact design. However, there was a spacious lobby in front of the reception, and sofas were placed to make it comfortable for guests to relax.

“You said you had something to do, so you were going back today, right?”

“I changed my mind. I wanted to come see you, Minato-kun. It’s been a while, so I thought I’d invite Koumoto along too.”

“‘Invited’? You make it sound like an afterthought.”

Koumoto, who had been a few steps behind, made a sour face, clearly annoyed. He chuckled as Minato bowed down to him to apologize; “I’m sorry.”.

“I’m sorry as well, I thought you would have told me about your leg. I’m glad it wasn’t a serious injury, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Thank you.” 

Koumoto nodded toward Minato and then looked at Yoshiharu. “So? Can I go now?”

“You’re good to go. Thanks, you really helped. I need to make a call in the back, so Minato-kun, see Koumoto off for me.”

“…Alright.”

After confirming Minato’s nod, Yoshiharu headed toward the back of the lobby, towards the elevator.

With a sigh, Koumoto shrugged and walked with Minato toward the front exit a few meters away.

“Um, if you have some time, would you like to have tea or a meal together? You came all this way, after all.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I have an early business trip tomorrow, so I need to get up before five. Don’t worry about it; I did this on my own accord. By the way, about that guy earlier, he really was the high schooler from ten years ago, right?”

Koumoto stopped a little ahead of the entrance and asked. Minato confirmed with a nod, knowing it was pointless to deny it. Koumoto sighed slightly in response.

“I see. So when did you start seeing him? A few years ago?”

“We reunited last month. He happened to know one of my students, and it went from there.”

“Ah, I get it now. That’s how things went… Hey, Hosokawa-kun.”

Koumoto lowered his voice and called Minato’s name, causing him to instinctively straighten his posture. Koumoto softened his expression, as if seeing something endearing.

“Actually, I was planning to wait a little longer before saying this, but… Do you have any intention of dating me?”

“…What?”

Minato looked up in confusion, and Koumoto gave him a gentle smile.

“You can take your time to answer. Just know that I’m serious, and I want you to believe that. Even if you turn me down, I won’t stop being your friend.”

“Um…”

Koumoto patted Minato’s shoulder and then left the room.

Minato watched Koumoto’s retreating figure through the glass, still in a daze.

……When Minato severed his connection with Ogiwara ten years ago, he had properly told Koumoto that he wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship. Since then, Koumoto became a friend through Yoshiharu, and after Minato started working, they became pen pals and, over time, close friends.

Minato liked Koumoto, but only as a friend. After all, Koumoto was someone who didn’t lack any ability to find anyone in his life. Before they began meeting in person like this, Minato had often heard from Nagashima and Yoshiharu about Koumoto’s romantic entanglements, mixed with casual conversation.

Koumoto knew that Minato was younger and didn’t have much experience with relationships, which was why he hadn’t brought up his feelings earlier. Minato had assumed Koumoto must be in a relationship, especially since it seemed like there was a current partner. That’s why the confession had such a strong impact.

“Minato-kun, over here. Let’s talk in the room.”

Shaking his head, Minato hurried to the elevator where Yoshiharu was waiting.

The room they were taken to was a twin on the eleventh floor, just a short distance from the elevator.

Minato placed his crutch and bag in front of the closet and sat down in one of the chairs by the window. Yoshiharu used the provided kettle to prepare tea for them both.

Two cups of tea were placed on the table, and they sat facing each other, gazing at each other’s faces. Yoshiharu’s familiar, handsome face seemed somehow different from how Minato remembered.

Perhaps thinking the same thing, Yoshiharu, who had been smiling, suddenly took a sip of his tea and spoke.

“How did you feel when Koumoto confessed to you?”

“What do you mean, how?”

“Koumoto, despite that… has been looking at you with single-mindedness all this time… Didn’t you notice?”

“But Koumoto-san has a partner, both Eisuke and you—”

“―The person he had a relationship with was three years ago. After he transferred here two years ago, he reconnected with a pen pal, and since then, he’s been so focused on that person that he hasn’t noticed anyone else.”

Minato furrowed his brow, skeptical, but remembering Koumoto from earlier, it didn’t seem like a lie. He lowered his head, feeling troubled, and Yoshiharu laughed.

“He said he made his approach in his own way, but judging by how you didn’t notice at all, you’re pretty clueless, huh?”

“……”

Thinking back, Minato realized that his connection with Koumoto had been limited to having meals together once or twice a month, exchanging emails, and occasional phone calls. Koumoto had invited him to hang out a few times, but because Minato had irregular days off and Koumoto had weekends and holidays off, their schedules never aligned, so they had only gone on a drive together once.

“He didn’t want to rush it, so he was planning on taking it slow, but the one he wanted was snatched right in front of him. It’s harsh, even though it’s his own fault, right?”

Yoshiharu sighed as he spoke and looked at Minato.

The intensity of his gaze made Minato remember Nagashima’s words from the past. He had said that if Yoshiharu’s eyes changed color, it would be too late.

“The guy from earlier, was it Ogiwara-kun? He’s the high school student you tutored ten years ago, right? He’s the only one who calls you ‘Minato-sensei,’ isn’t he?”

Minato sighed, realizing he had been caught. He didn’t bother denying it and simply nodded in silence.

“You stopped tutoring, graduated, and moved away, so you should’ve lost contact with him by then, right? When and where did you meet? Did he come looking for you?”

“It was just a coincidence. The person I was with when I ran into him happened to be someone Ogiwara-kun knew.”

“Hmm? So, the reason you’re being picked up is because you fell down the stairs while protecting him, right?” Yoshiharu’s tone and manner were the same as usual, but for some reason, Minato felt as though he couldn’t escape the conversation.

“When I was waiting for you at that coffee shop, Ogiwara-kun showed up. But Koumoto reacted first. Ogiwara-kun seemed to notice right away too, and even though they didn’t speak, there was this standoffish atmosphere between them. I wondered why that was, and then a student from the cram school came by. They talked to that guy and told him that ‘Hosokawa-sensei has finished his lesson and will be here soon.’ —When I heard Ogiwara’s name, I was sure. He’s the one you had a one-sided crush on, right?”

The directness of Yoshiharu’s words left Minato with no choice but to give in. Thinking that Nagashima would eventually find out, Minato wanted to handle it smoothly, so he carefully chose his words.

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*Translator’s Note: It would have been an ideal relationship, if it was Koumoto with Minato. Right? -K

Next update: 2026.09.05

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