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https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622176550308690/episodes/16818792437176444383
“Yeah, I guess… Well, that’s how it is. Renka finally realized how she feels, huh?”
Stirring the ice in his iced coffee with a clink, Hideki looked at me with a thoughtful expression.
“But, I see. Hehe, so Renka’s officially a love-struck girl now. Ah, our Renka’s getting even cuter…”
“This, this…” Sena said, poking my cheeks playfully.
She grinned brightly,
“Personally, I think it’s way too late, though. Renka, you’re so pure, aren’t you?”
“…Did you know too, Sena? That I liked Akito…”
“Oh, I’ve known for ages. Hey, do you remember, Renka? Back in second grade on Valentine’s Day, when you made Akito-kun a chocolate bar five times the size of your schoolbag?”
“Ah, that brings back memories! That Akito guy, he ate the whole thing while his nose was running like crazy!”
“Ugh…! Sena! Hideki! Stop talking about that…!”
My whole body suddenly felt hot.
…Second grade Valentine’s Day. That’s my biggest embarrassing memory.
“Speaking of which, that incident really stuck with me. Remember when we watched a horror movie at Sena’s house in third grade?”
“Hehe, yeah, that happened! Then Renka clung to Akito-kun, right? She started throwing a tantrum saying she couldn’t sleep without him, so we ended up having a sleepover on the spot.”
“Th-that… i-it was a long time ago! That movie was really scary…!”
“And then there was that time. On our sixth-grade school trip to Kyoto, you blew your entire ten thousand yen allowance on fortune slips, right? I was wondering what was up, but you were just trying to keep trying until you got a ‘Great Fortune’ for love, weren’t you?”
“N-no, that’s not it! That was… well! I liked that shrine, so I wanted to leave some money there…!”
“Then how do you explain this, Renka? On the second-year school trip, when you accidentally brought home Akito’s underwear—”
“N-no way! That’s a secret even from Sena…!”
“Hmm. Akito-kun’s underwear, huh?”
“I-it wasn’t like that! I just… I just… wanted to wash them for him…!”
“I kinda think that’s weird too, but…”
“Hehe. Renka, you’re quite the pervert, aren’t you?”
Sena said this with a smirk, her gaze lingering on me.
…I’m sick of this. Looking back, my past is full of embarrassing moments.
But. I guess everyone’s right.
I’ve liked Akito for a very long time.
I think I acted like that to suppress those feelings. It was so embarrassing for Akito to know how I felt.
And above all, I was scared.
I thought that if Akito found out how I felt… something would change.
“Seriously, Akito’s got some nerve too, huh? Man, how clueless can he be?”
“Well, isn’t that Renka’s own fault? After all, she was always being so harsh with her words and actions. For someone as clueless as Akito, figuring out Renka’s true feelings would be next to impossible.”
“Can’t deny that, huh. Seriously, Renka. That’s why I told you to just be honest sooner!”
“U… s-sorry…”
Sena was right.
If I’d just stayed true to myself all along—maybe Akito would have noticed me a little bit.
“No, it’s okay, Renka. Besides, you’re facing your feelings properly now, right? You can admit you like Renka, can’t you?”
“…………, yeah…”
“Hehe, I see, I see. Good girl, good girl—Renka, you did well, didn’t you?”
Sway sway. My hair was gently stroked by Sena.
Hideki watched Sena and me like this, propping his chin on his hand,
“So, Renka. What do you want to become with Akito from now on?”
“…Yeah. I… I…”
All this time, I’d been turning away from my own feelings.
I hated that part of myself—deep down, I always had.
“I… want to be… Akito’s… girlfriend…”
So, I.
I never want to run away from this truth again.
I swore that to myself when Suzukita declared war on me.
“So… please. I need everyone’s help…!”
Sena. Hideki. Yuri.
I bowed deeply to my beloved childhood friends.
Then. Sena gently patted my back,
“Come on, Renka. Stop being so stiff.”
“Yeah, Renka. You don’t need to get all formal about it. Of course we’ll do whatever we can for you.”
“Same here. Well, I don’t know if us guys with zero dating experience can actually be much help, though.”
“…I see. Thanks, everyone…”
I honestly felt happy.
Tears threatened to spill—I truly felt blessed to have such wonderful friends.
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