Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622172789075625/episodes/16818622177508059511
“Hey, wait a minute.”
For some reason, Kako said to us in a flustered manner.
We weren’t really having a meaningful conversation, so we were confused.
Moreover, I think Yamayoshi was more confused than I was.
Kako pressed her temple and asked me,
“What do you mean? Since last time? You mean we’ve been meeting even after entering high school?”
“Eh? Yeah.”
I was taken aback by the unnecessary confirmation.
She changed her expression and asked a meaningless question.
When she said “since last time,” it’s obvious that we met last time.
When I tilted my head, Kako shook her head for some reason and backed away.
Did I say something strange?
So, I decided to explain in more detail.
However, I didn’t notice that Yamayoshi had a tense expression on her face.
“Last month, Nagisa invited me to a special lecture at the cram school. Yamayoshi happened to be there, and we met again for the first time in a while. I was surprised to see her in the same classroom. Right?”
When I asked her, she nodded awkwardly.
“Uh, yeah. That’s all. Nothing more than that.”
That was true, we hadn’t had any special conversation, but her cold response hurt me a little.
She had suddenly become cold toward me in ninth grade, so maybe she really did dislike me.
I had approached her today because I had seen her, but maybe I had been too familiar.
I don’t think there’s anything more difficult to read than a girl’s feelings toward you.
As I was feeling a little hurt, Kako said something that didn’t make sense.
“…Did you two actually date in middle school?”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but let out a sound at her unexpected words.
But I really didn’t understand, so it couldn’t be helped.
“You two were always close in ninth grade. So you kept in touch behind the scenes even after you entered high school? Without telling me?”
“I told you it was a coincidence. What are you talking about?”
To begin with, Yamayoshi and I weren’t always friends in middle school.
One day, she suddenly started avoiding me, and Kako should know that.
In fact, she’s brought up the topic many times before.
Besides,
There was a reason why I talked to Yamayoshi in third year of middle school.
“If you’re talking about me talking to Yamayoshi in the first half of third year, that’s a misunderstanding.”
“What do you mean?”
The atmosphere was hellish, and Yamayoshi next to me looked extremely annoyed.
Feeling sorry for dragging her into the argument, I sighed and explained.
“I was teaching you, so I was asking Yamayoshi, who was in the same class as you, about the progress of the lessons. We weren’t friends or anything, I was just taking your request seriously.”
“Yeah, he asked me for my class notes every day, and to be honest, it was creepy and annoying.”
“Really? I’m sorry…I kind of noticed that. I’m sorry about that…”
Yamayoshi’s interruption cut me to the core.
I see, that’s why she disliked me.
It was my fault after all.
Looking back now, it’s easy to imagine how annoying it must have been.
I truly want to apologize from the bottom of my heart.
But if you’ll forgive me, I’d like to make an excuse.
“But at the time, I was desperate too. Kako really wanted to go to the same high school as me, so I was teaching her like crazy, and to be honest, I was so stressed out I didn’t know what to do. Yamayoshi seemed cooperative at first…”
“I get it. So I’m not holding that against you, and to be honest, I’m not angry at you at all, so don’t worry. What’s annoying me is your lack of interpersonal skills, even when it comes to communicating with your childhood friend.”
“Didn’t you just say something really harsh?”
I’m not sure if she’s angry or not, but at least she understood my explanation.
At the time, I was really struggling too.
I wasn’t particularly worried about my own entrance exam, but helping my childhood friend, who had similar grades, apply to this high school with such a high competition rate was no easy task.
Including the matter with Yamayoshi, a lot of preparation was necessary.
Well, back then, she was studying pretty seriously, so it was easier for me to teach her, but that’s beside the point.
However, if I think about it a little differently, I was just tying my own hands.
I ended up putting someone who was like an enemy, someone who would interfere with my dreams for the future, right next to me.
I had forgotten that I had explained this to Kako during my conversation with Yamayoshi.
When I looked ahead, Kako had a blank expression on her face.
Yamayoshi said to her.
“I told you it was a misunderstanding, didn’t I?”
“Then what? I’ve always…”
“Kako?”
“!”
I called out to her because something seemed off, but that made her run off somewhere.
I stood there dumbfounded, watching her run away.
What the hell is wrong with her?
I don’t understand any of this.
Still, maybe it’s good that we’re finally separated…
I felt uneasy and honestly not very relieved.
“Shouldn’t you chase after her?”
Yamayoshi asked, and I smiled wryly.
“It’s okay. She seems to really hate me. She’s been bullying me since we started high school, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to see my face today.”
“….Then I’ll go. I kind of understand the situation.”
“Eh?”
I was confused by the awkward conversation.
What was the situation she was referring to?
Ever since earlier, everything about Kako’s words and attitude, as well as her exchange with Yamayoshi, had been bothering me.
She ran off immediately, so I couldn’t stop her to ask, and I was left behind.
“Haa.”
It’s always like this.
Whenever I interact with Kako, it wears me out mentally.
The old me would have chased after her like an idiot to talk, but I know she’ll just take it out on me, so I can’t bring myself to go.
Besides, we’re practically estranged now.
Depending on the results of the mock exam coming back soon, it’s certain that she won’t be able to talk to me anymore.
It’s exactly what I wanted, and finally, I’ll be able to focus on my studies without worrying about my childhood friend.
I can’t wait.
But why?
…It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
It seems that whether I chase after her or not, it causes mental exhaustion.
In that case, it’s better to choose the option that won’t leave me with regrets.
Seeing his face earlier made my chest feel a little tight, so I decided to listen to his side of the story.
In the end, it seems I’m destined to be swayed by her.
“This is where I need to learn.”
I muttered to myself as I left the scene.
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