”Yes. Satomi-kun has a very large hole in his heart. And I feel like I won't be able to fill it all up as I am still a child. That's why there needs to be more people that can pour warmth into his heart”
That was something she had talked to with Yurika in the past. The hole in Koutarou's heart ran deep and large. It wasn't something an immature woman could fill on her own. But Harumi wanted to save Koutarou right away. She wanted to fill that hole. For that sake she needed others who shared her desire.
“Harumi, you might understand Bertorion better than anyone else”
“I understood there were some special circumstances in the background from the moment a boy asked to learn how to knit. All I did after that was watch”
Harumi had learned of the hole in Koutarou's heart through the knitting society. It was hard to believe that a normal high school boy would want to knit. Especially for an athletic youth like Koutarou. Yet in reality, Koutarou was earnestly toiling away in their club activities. Harumi had always wondered why. From there, Harumi had spent a long period of time puzzling together what Koutarou had mentioned to reach a certain conclusion. Koutarou wanted to finish knitting the sweater that someone who passed away had left behind. After realizing that, Harumi had always been on Koutarou's side. Eventually she grew attracted to his earnest appearance.
“But you know this too, right Clan-san?”
Harumi's intuition told her that Clan had realized the same thing.
“Yes. I happened to be there when it happened. It's not like I figured it out on my own like you”
Clan was aware of Koutarou's circumstances because she had been with him in the world of ten years ago. There, she had touched upon Koutarou's suffering and understood his solitude.
“I believe most have reached the same conclusion or are on the verge of it”
”I'm sure they are...”
As far as Clan knew, Kiriha had without a doubt reached that conclusion. It was also very likely that Clan's rivals Theia and Ruth had as well. Harumi had also consulted Yurika about this. The remaining ones were Maki, Sanae and Shizuka, but considering their behavior up until now, it was likely they still had reached the same conclusion. That's why Clan and Harumi both assumed that all the girls of room 106 were aware of Koutarou's circumstances.
“A lot of warmth will be needed to heal Satomi-kun. We need to teach him that he can rely on the warmth of others”
”Until that's over, Bertorion won't choose anyone anyways”
”Yes”
“Haah... he really is a troublesome man”
Clan let out a sigh and dropped her shoulders. Clan was amazed at herself for falling for someone so difficult. Harumi on the other hand was smiling.
“However, on the other hand, I think it is wonderful. We can be of help to the man we love after all”
Koutarou wasn't some invincible hero. That's why Harumi and the others could stand next to him. There were things they could do for Koutarou. It wasn't a one-sided relationship where they were only being protected. They could be equals. Harumi was very happy about that.
“I'm envious that you can actually say that out loud”
”It took over a year for me to be able to though”
”I wonder if I will be able to do the same some day...”
”You will. You're a girl after all”
”You're the only who'd say that, Harumi”
“Satomi-kun says it a lot as well, doesn't he?”
”He is just playing around with me!”
”Fufufu...”
Harumi and Clan continued chatting away. The topic gradually shifted away from Koutarou and onto other things. However the contents were much deeper than before. Through their chat just now, the two were now getting along a lot more.