Episode 4 

[…Yeah, actually, you know, he confessed to me just the other day and we started dating.]

Akari had a look on her face that I had never seen before. Her cheeks were flushed cherry red, and ironically, I found her more attractive than I had in the fifteen years I had known her.

It is often said that girls become prettier when they fall in love, and that is exactly what I witnessed.

Ironically, it was not me who she was in love with.

[..I see, Senpai  seems like a very nice person.]

Takeru didn’t know what kind of expression he had on his face when he said those words. He was so busy trying to keep his voice from shaking that he didn’t pay attention to his expression. His childhood friend of ten years, his best friend, was smiling happily, but he couldn’t even say [Congratulations] to her.

In the end, Takeru said, [I have a stomach ache, so go to class first] and ran away from the scene.

Takeru couldn’t bear to look at her as she beamed at Yasaka. Despite the fact that she was the most attractive person he had ever seen, he couldn’t bear to look at her.

“If only I had told her how I felt sooner,……would things have been different…?”

Takeru lies on a bench behind the old school building, looking at the cloudless blue sky with a cloudy expression on his face, and says out loud the thought that comes to his mind no matter how many times he shakes it off. Although he know there is nothing he can do about it, he can’t stop thinking.

The old school building where Takeru is now is a place where almost no one enters since the new school building was built ten years ago. In fact, he has been sitting on a bench behind the old school building for an hour now, but not a single person has passed by. He used to use this place when he wanted to be alone in thoughts.

The breeze is getting a little chilly, and the warmth of the sun is pleasant. Even in such a bad state of mind, the heat from the sun felt comfortable, and Ken, who had not been sleeping well, almost fell asleep.

“I finally found you……! ! !”

Just before he let go of his consciousness, he heard a voice, and Takeru’s consciousness was awakened at once, and he jumped out of bed.

He checked the direction of the voice and saw Takatsuki, who looked like Hannya, approaching him with a big step.

“What are you doing here ! You didn’t come to class, and you didn’t come to the cafeteria  ! How can you skip class !”

[I-I’m sorry.] I was so powerful that I reflexively quickened my pace. [I mean, Takatsuki….san? What are you doing here…?]

“That’s my line ! I took the trouble to research you and even showed up to your classes, so why are you slacking off !  Isn’t college a compulsory education? I feel sorry for your parents who are paying your tuition fees !”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Takatsuki was quickly talking and Takeru was bewildered, but apologized for the second time.

Takatsuki, who came right in front of the bench, glared sharply at Takeru’s face, and his eyes suddenly widened with a shocked expression on his face.

“What are you…crying?'”

Perhaps she noticed because of the reddening of his eyes. Takeru hurriedly rubbed his eyes to cover it up.

“I-I was just yawning because I was sleepy. More importantly, what do you want from me, Takatsuki san?”

Takatsuki looked at Takeru suspiciously for a while, then took out a lunch box and a neatly folded orange wrapped from her bag.

[I came to give you this back.] Takatsuki held out the bento box, then turned away and continued speaking. […..The taste wasn’t bad. Ah, it wasn’t quite as good as the old lady’s, though]

Takeru reached out his hand and with a pop, a bento box was placed on top of it.

It’s Akari’s lunch box……I can remember like it was yesterday when I brought this lunch box. This lunch box was the size of a man’s lunch box, and Akari said, [If it’s Ken’s food, I can eat as much as I want, don’t worry !] She chose this lunch box, ignoring Takeru’s advice. True to her word, she never once left any food uneaten.

Not good. When I thought of Akari again, my tear gland came up.

“Haha, it’s tough when it’s compared to Grandma’s taste…….”

Hearing Takeru’s unintentionally trembling voice, Takatsuki made a startled face.

“N-no, that’s why I said your food tasted good too ! I’m sorry I compared you to your grandmother, but…you see, considering your age, you’re doing well enough, you know?”

Takatsuki consoles Takeru, perhaps mistakenly believing that her words had hurt him. She seems distraught to an extent that is hard to imagine from her normal self. However, this has the opposite effect on Takeru now, and his tear gland finally collapses when he is touched by the kindness of others.

“Uuuuuh…..Takatsuki san is so kind…! I’m pretty sure you were more…….ruthless…!”

Takeru lost control of his emotions and didn’t know what he was saying.

“Ah…you…are you trying to praise me…?”

Takatsuki’s cheeks are twitching, but she takes the orange handkerchief in Takeru’s hand and wipes his tears away. It had a nice scent of fabric softener, different from the one used at Takeru’s house.

“Thank you, thank you……!”

He started repeating the words over and over again until losing track of what he was thanking her for.

In the empty back of the old school building, a pathetic man’s sobs alternated with a childish voice saying, [Yeah, yeah]

“Hmmm…so you mean to say that your childhood friend you’ve always loved has a boyfriend.”

Takeru, who was able to calm down, confided everything to Takatsuki. Everything, including the fact that his childhood friend Akari had started dating a senior from the tennis circle and that she had been going to that senior’s house.

There were some things I could honestly talk about because it was to a third party, and I felt a little better just by talking to her.

“When you say it like that…… Yeah, well…you’re right.”

I tried to deny it with my lowly pride, but Takatsuki san stared at me with narrowed eyes and held my mouth shut.

I cried so much, no matter what I said now, she would already know that I loved Akari.

“By the way, when did your childhood friend start dating?”

“Eh? Hmm…..I’ve asked her just now  this morning, so I think it’s recent, but I haven’t heard specifically when…”

To be honest, I don’t even want to know. If I were to hear about how they first met, I would have a confidence that I wouldn’t have the strength.

Takatsuki muttered as if she didn’t care, crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Then, after a pause with a grim look on her face, she opens her mouth.

[I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of experience in relationships, so I can’t give you proper advice] she prefaces, then opens her eyes, looks at Takeru, and speaks as if admonishing him. [But what I think is that you should consider this a good break. From what you’ve told me, even if you had continued your childhood friendship, your relationship with her would have continued on a parallel track, wouldn’t it? You have a limited amount of time left in college, and that’s a waste. You have the opportunity to move on to your next relationship. Instead of looking back at what you lost, you should recognize what you will gain because of it.]

Takeru closed his eyes and ruminate over Takatsuki’s words in his mind as he thought about it.

Takatsuki is right. Takeru has also been confessed to by girls several times, but he turned them all down because he was thinking about Akari. Even so, Akari, who loves Yasaka, would never have accepted Takeru’s confession, and even if heaven and earth were to turn over, it would have been impossible for Akari to confess to him.

The relationship would never have been able to move forward in the way it was.

But now that he knew that there was no longer any possibility of going out with Akari, he could make up his mind and move on.

“You’re….right. Thank you so much, Takatsuki san.”

Takeru agreed with her words and thanked her sincerely.

Takatsuki san, her words have so much power and she is a good and reliable person. Her kindness will make me cry again if I’m not careful.

As Takeru bit his lower lip and held back tears, Takatsuki lowered her voice one tone and continued speaking.

“So, the price I paid for comforting you in your current state of depression…”

Takatsuki’s words made the tears that had been welling up instantly retreat.

Price…..price……consideration? Consideration as a benefit on property received as a reward for providing property, labor, etc., to another person. (Source: goo dictionary)

So Takatsuki offered her labor not out of kindness, but for her own benefit?

It’s natural to think about it, she has nothing to gain by being kind to someone she met only a short time ago.

“What…so that’s how it is?”

Takeru smiled to himself. I’m a little disappointed, but it’s true that I’ve been helped, and it’s probably better to have that kind of interest in the relationship.

“I really appreciate it, and I’ll do whatever I can to help, but I don’t have any money, you know?”

What do they expect from Takeru, who is an ordinary man…or rather poor, in return?

Takatsuki snickered at Takeru’s words.

“I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I’d be willing to pay for it myself.”

“…..Eh?”

I don’t understand what she is talking about, so I ask her again.

Pay? From Takatsuki san to me? What on earth is she talking about?

Takatsuki, seeing Takeru with a question mark on his face, sniffed and jumped down from the bench with a pounce, standing in front of Takeru, arms crossed and glaring at him.

“I’d like you to start making me lunch tomorrow. Every day, of course.”

I couldn’t understand what she meant at all, even though I tried to ask her back.

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