Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093084247495421
A few hours after Ryuki had revealed that it was me (Tahara) inside Hikarun, I had come to the café as Matsumura-san had told me to.
I came dressed in a style with my hair up on the outside for the time being.
As before, I sat down with Matsumura-san in front of me and Sakine-chan next to me.
“Why did you hide it from me!?”
“…….”
I sat in silence, not knowing what to say to Matsumura-san’s question, which she asked with a raised eyebrow.
The drink I had ordered arrived at my table, but I didn’t touch it and just sat there in silence.
Then, neither I nor Matsumura-san spoke up.
“I’m sorry.”
I looked to my left and saw Sakine chan sitting there, looking down apologetically, her hands on her thighs clasped tightly.
“Why is Sakine apologizing!?”
“……”
“No way, Sakine knew about it too?”
Sakine nodded silently at Matsumura-san’s question.
In response, Matsumura-san said, “Why didn’t you tell me!?” she asked her loudly, and she stiffened up a little.
Seeing her like this, I, as a man, could not just stand by and watch, so I opened my mouth.
“Sakine-chan is not wrong. It was all my fault. I asked her to keep it a secret.”
She seemed to have regained her composure at my words, and after taking a sip of her café au lait, she asked me again, and I answered honestly.
“Why?”
“I was a little nervous at first. I thought at the time that I would never get involved in the future, and I thought it would be better for Matsumura-san if she didn’t know about it, so I lied to her. But after that, I had many more opportunities to be involved, and I gradually lost the timing to tell. I’m really sorry.”
Matsumura-san, who had been silently listening to my answer, asked me the question again without recovering the strength in her face.
“Then, since we’re on the subject, I’ll ask you one more question why did you avoid me at school?”
“That’s because I heard that you have found someone you like. I thought maybe I should stay away from you.”
She looked at me with a vacant stare in response to my answer, and then let out one big sigh.
“Stupid. What I was worried about …”
“Eh?”
“Mouu! Nothing!”
Saying that, Matsumura-san downed the remaining café au lait in one gulp.
As I was thinking about what I should do, my eyes fell on a paper bag in my hand. It was a yukata that Aunt Muraoka had given me earlier.
[You know, there’s going to be a fireworks display next week. I thought maybe you could wear it.]
Remembering those words, I suggested something.
“I hadn’t thanked you for helping me study for the test, and as an apology for lying to you this time, would you like to go with me to the summer festival next week? I’ll buy you a drink from a food stall or something.”
“A summer festival! I want to go!”
Sakine-chan, who had remained silent until a few minutes ago, was the first to take me up on my offer.
Perhaps Sakune-chan is trying to lighten this heavy atmosphere in her own way.
“No.”
However, Sakine-chan’s efforts are in vain and she immediately rejects the offer.
I didn’t expect to be rejected, and as I was thinking about what else I could do, Matsumura-san continued to speak up.
“It’s fine for me to go to the summer festival as a thank-you for studying for the test. But I’ll ask you to make another apology for lying to me this time.”
“Huh?”
“Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Yay! A festival with Hikarun onii chan! I’m so excited!”
While Matsumura-san’s enthusiasm pushed me into agreeing, Sakine-chan was beaming with joy.
After that, the heavy atmosphere disappeared and the three of us happily chatted about other things.
“Well, I’d better go home. I have to get ready for dinner.”
“It’s already this late, isn’t it? I guess so.”
We paid the bill and left the store.
“See you later, Sakine-chan.”
“See you later! I’m looking forward to the festival!”
“Oh, Matsumura-san. Let’s exchange contact information so we can talk about the details of the day of the festival.”
“Yes!”
Her face was so cute as she agreed with a sparkling smile.
We exchanged contact information and sent each other stamps of greeting to make sure we were on the same page.
“Okay, then. …….”
“Wait.”
As I was about to leave, Matsumura-san stopped me.
“Me, too. Call me by my name.”
“Hmm?”
“Call me by my name too, just like Sakine. L-Look, look, Sakine is also Matsumura, so it’s hard to understand, isn’t it? No?”
I couldn’t refuse her request with her eyes glistening like that.
“I understand. I’ll call you by your name from now on, Hi, Hina.”
“Thank you, Hikaru! I’ll see you later.”
Hina said that and left with Sakine-chan.
When she called my name, I was shocked as if I had been stabbed by a demon, and I stood there for a while.
She did that to me, and I was all over her.
“It’s not fair.”
I left the shopping mall with a lingering feeling that she had called my name.
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