Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818023212603480991/episodes/16818023212612551387
December.
Matsukubo Takuma passed right in front of me as soon as my second period class ended.
Matsukubo had lost all of his energy since after the festival, and although the guys around him kept encouraging him, he never regained his brightness.
And then I heard that he had broken up with Saki.
“Kya !”
“Sorry !”
It seemed like a girl and a boy bumped into each other at the entrance of the classroom.
Boom !
Kumagai Yuri and Matsukubo Takuma were bumping into each other !
Boom !
“I’m sorry.”
“…..Yeah.”
Yuri looked at Matsukubo and apologized lightly, then immediately looked at me and smiled, which made me feel very relieved.
“Sorry, Kingo. Please lend me your Japanese notebook. I forgot it at home !”
Matsukubo stared at Yuri, stunned.
“I can share my notebook.”
“Let me see ! Yay ! Here’s today’s class.”
“Hmph ! That’s gonna cost you !”
“Your handwriting is so dirty it’s hard to read, so give me half the price !”
“Then I won’t lend it to you !”
“I’m kidding. I’ll buy you another Hagen !”
“All right, then !”
“Thanks, I’ll return it the next time !”
With that said, Yuri returned without glancing at Matsukubo, who was still standing at the entrance of the classroom.
Hmmm !
I don’t care about Matsukubo, but after the festival, confessions to Yuri had increased dramatically.
Several times, a total stranger confessed to her.
Sure, that maid look was insanely cute, but for me, it’s the worst confession.
Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day.
If we were in a relationship, the most fun events would be right around the corner.
I love Yuri. This will never change.
I’m getting more scared that Yuri might go out with other guys than the fear of being betrayed.
Should I confess my feelings to her?
If so, when would be the best time?
I wonder if Yuri will say yes…
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
On my way home after the first day of final exams, I got off the train and was approached by a voice.
“Kingo !”
It was Yagi Saki.
During the first semester of second year, she used to come to my class to see Matsukubo.
But after the second semester, Saki stopped coming to my class, and it seemed that Matsukubo just went to Saki’s classroom.
Then, around after the cultural festival in November, Matsukubo Takuma’s energy had gone down.
After that, I heard rumors that Saki was also not doing well, and finally there were rumors that he and Saki had broken up.
In fact, Saki and Matsukubo were not seen together in the school, and furthermore, both of them had quit the light music club.
Saki had cut off her long, beautiful brown hair.
She was always as bright as the sun, but the smile on her face showed that she was trying too hard.
If I had seen her before last month, I would have ignored her and walked away.
But seeing Saki now, it made me think it would be okay to talk to her at least once.
We headed for the park where we had parted ways on the day of the entrance ceremony, because it was a place with few people.
The sound of Saki’s footsteps, as she silently followed behind me, had lost none of its previous dash.
I wonder what she thinks about me.
I don’t think it can be helped since I was dumped.
I didn’t know it was Saki who saved me from those thugs, and the fact that I was beaten to a pulp had nothing to do with her….
But I still remembered her cold words and attitude after I was dumped.
[I’m sorry, but I don’t want people around me or my boyfriend to misunderstand, so please don’t call me Saki anymore.]
She doesn’t feel bad at all, and her tone is like a nail in the coffin.
[I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, so just keep it at a classmate’s distance.]
And then she walked away behind me.
It still hurts. I still resented her.
I’m pretty stubborn, aren’t I…
When we faced each other in the empty park, Saki bowed deeply.
“First of all, thank you. For saving me in a dangerous situation. Also, I’m sorry. I was only thinking about myself and I hurt you so much.”
“…..Aunty already said it when she came to visit me, and she thanked me properly so I don’t need your apology now.”
Saki raised her head after hearing my answer.
“Yeah. I understand. But I couldn’t help but say it.
I don’t expect you to forgive me for this. The reason I called out to you is because I wanted you to listen to what I had to say about Takuma. …….Can I?”
Saki asked weakly, but I agreed and asked her to sit on the bench.
“When I was dating Takuma, I was always sparkling, especially in the beginning.
That’s why I didn’t even care when I saw Kingo looking down all the time. Seriously, it’s disgusting, isn’t it? That’s how I pretended to be your childhood friend.”
I didn’t know how to respond to the words that ended in self-mockery.
“I had always thought Takuma was my ideal boyfriend, just like Prince Charming in Snow White. He showed me the dream of becoming a music star, which I had never even considered before junior high school. But this summer, when I was saved by Kingo, I was actually attacked while I was alone with Takuma. Takuma got hit and was so scared that he ran away.
He went to the police station police box to ask for help, but to no avail, because Kingo was the one who called the police.”
If I were surrounded by three delinquents, I might have run away to ask for help, but I didn’t want to cover for Matsukubo, so I continued to make no comments.
“Still, I liked Takuma. Takuma was just a normal boy, he just had some things he was good at and things he wasn’t good at.”
These words made a lot of sense to me.
Saki was hesitant to say anything, but she chose her words carefully and spun them.
“On the day of the festival, I….found out I was pregnant.”
“Seriously…”
Saki gently stroked her belly.
“Yeah. I didn’t know what to do at all, so I talked to Takuma first, and he said, “[Have the baby, let’s get married.
I’ll quit high school and work.] I felt so relieved.”
While saying she was relieved, Saki’s voice remained firm.
Of course. She broke up with Matsukubo.
“I went to my parents first to explain, but they wanted me to tell them Takuma’s parents’ answer. So we went to see Takuma’s parents, and his father said, [Takuma is hopeless.
You can have children, get married, quit high school, whatever you want. But I will not take care of you in my company, and I will not make you my heir.] And Takuma had nothing to say back. The next day, Takuma called me and asked me to abort the child. So I discussed it with my parents, and we aborted it right away.”
Saki’s voice was getting quieter and quieter, and her body was shrinking.
After a while, Saki looked up and spoke in a rusty tone.
“I’m an idiot. If we had used proper contraception, none of this would have happened. Takuma was a fool who didn’t realize that he was a flower that could only bloom in a greenhouse, and he was also a weak man who easily changed his opinion at the slightest hint of a word from his father.”
He was so quick to dismiss Matsukubo that I was surprised.
Yeah, she was the type of guy who could make that kind of a judgment call.
“I’m the biggest fool of all for mistakenly believing that such a gold-plated, outwardly attractive guy was the love of my life. I’m sorry, Kingo.”
Saki looked up at the blue sky. A drop of tear overflowed from her eye.
“…We all have weaknesses and stupidities.”
“Yes, but what’s important is that it doesn’t really matter. And I’m the biggest idiot.”
Saki straightened her posture and looked straight at me.
“…Thank you for listening to me. My parents told me not to talk to Kingo anymore, but after all this time, I still wanted to thank you directly for saving me, apologize for the terrible things I did to you, and tell you the truth about what really happened between me and Takuma. I’m sorry for being so selfish.”
“Yeah. First of all, I won’t tell anyone about this. Not my sister, not anyone. Also, I accepted your thanks and apology. Well, that doesn’t mean we can go back to the way things were.”
“……..You’re right. Yeah, of course.”
Perhaps she was thinking that we would be able to become childhood friends again, Saki regretfully affirmed.
“Then….take care.”
I managed to prevent myself from saying ‘see you’, and turned my back from Saki.
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