Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844261747978/episodes/822139844723519511
Back in the latter half of my second year of middle school.
After learning that Tomoka was streaming, I tried it myself and failed—no, I didn’t fail, I just happened to realize Tomoka was a genius—and then.
After that, Mitsuki became the one I stopped hanging out with.
Apparently, one of the songs she’d made gained attention on a video site and started trending. Riding that momentum, she herself seemed to be increasing her composition frequency to gain more viewers.
(Hmm)
Ryota thought. …Maybe I could do this.
Ryota had some experience with music. He’d taken piano lessons in elementary school and could play songs at a level that didn’t require too much practice. He was better than anyone else in his class.
Then he should be able to handle composing and singing too.
Yes, that’s what he’d do.
The whole streaming thing with Tomoka must have been some kind of mistake. There was no way he could be that bad at it.
He was a special person who could do anything. Right, streaming just hadn’t clicked for him yet. This time, he’d give it his all.
Thinking this, he immediately started composing and recording vocals…
It was a complete disaster.
The song I made barely got any views. The only comment was, “Isn’t this just a rip-off of XX?”—a fact I’d already suspected myself.
Even the singing. Despite belting it out with all my energy and emotion, when I listened to the recording, it sounded nothing like that. Instead, it was so unnerving I couldn’t believe it was my own voice.
I told myself it was just my imagination and uploaded it anyway, but it didn’t get a single view. When I listened to it again after that, it was even more disgusting. I couldn’t accept this as part of me.
In the end, I deleted everything.
Once again, nothing remained.
(Why…?!?)
Two things I tried in a row didn’t work out at all.
Impossible. This isn’t me. Yeah, it’s impossible. This is definitely just a fluke. Which means…
(…Oh. Mitsuki was special too.)
The same conclusion, after all.
Not just Tomoka, Mitsuki was a genius too. Amazing. My childhood friends really were chosen beings. And me, being cherished by them, was special too.
Thinking that kept me sane. I convinced myself it was the truth.
(Yeah. Mitsuki has incredible musical talent. But… in exchange, she’s a bit weird normally. She says strange things and sometimes acts completely baffling. She has that flaw unique to geniuses, so I have to support her there…!)
Based on that thought, Ryota began acting accordingly from then on.
◆
Therefore, even today in my first year of high school.
“Mitsuki!”
She had musical talent, but usually had her odd moments, and an unknown male student had taken advantage of that to deceive her.
Interpreting the scene he saw there as such and convinced of it, Ryota immediately spoke to Mitsuki as she returned to the classroom.
Mitsuki turned around, her beauty so striking that even her childhood friend couldn’t help but be captivated.
“What?”
“…Where were you during lunch break?”
“…It’s not something I’d tell Ryota.”
(What the hell…!)
His blood boiled at his childhood friend’s rejection, but he told himself to calm down.
“…During lunch break, I happened to have some business and passed by the back of the school building.”
He fired the prepared words at her.
Mitsuki’s eyes widened.
“And that’s where I happened to see you. Mitsuki… you know… hugging some guy I didn’t recognize. What the hell was that—”
“—Lies.”
One word.
Just one word from Mitsuki. Yet, spoken with a conviction and weight even her childhood friend had never heard before, it forced Ryota to shut his mouth.
Without pause, she continued.
“You’re lying, right? About that.”
“Wh-what am I lying about?”
“About having business that just happened to take you past here. There’s no place in this school where you’d ‘just happen to have business that takes you past the back of the building.’ You know that, Ryota, right?”
“W-well—”
He belatedly realized he’d dug his own grave. Adding the business excuse had been a mistake.
He tried desperately to salvage the situation, but…
“Also, Ryota, when you lie, your eyes and everything else give you away pretty easily. Don’t think you can fool your childhood friend that easily.”
(Huh?! Wha—what the hell is this…?)
He’d thought she had gaps—or rather, he’d underestimated her. Ryota broke out in a cold sweat at his childhood friend’s quiet analysis.
“You followed me, didn’t you? Why would you…”
“S-sorry! But—I was worried!”
Somehow cutting off Mitsuki’s questioning and apologizing, Ryota continued.
“I was worried… So tell me, who exactly is that guy?”
“I’ll say it again, this isn’t something I should tell you.”
But her answer remained consistent.
“That person, and me… us sisters. We have to face it ourselves.”
“But… we’re childhood friends. And… we’re in the same class now.”
Hearing Ryota’s words, which she couldn’t accept—Mitsuki’s expression softened just a little.
“Yeah. I’m glad I got to be in the same class as you too, Ryota.”
“See?! Right?! Then—”
“But still, talking to you about it is wrong. Ryota, you shouldn’t do anything.”
Faced with repeated refusal, Ryota, realizing there was nothing he could do now, gritted his teeth…
“…Alright.”
After saying that.
“But—Mitsuki, just understand this much.”
Yet he still clung to Mitsuki.
“I’m worried. Really. So… even if I can’t do anything now, if there’s ever anything I can do, just tell me.”
“!”
At those words, Mitsuki’s eyes widened again.
Then… she looked down and murmured.
“…Why doesn’t it resonate at all?”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“No, nothing. I’ll gratefully accept your concern, so go back.”
Just then, the bell rang.
(…I wanted to talk more, but… well, fine. I guess my feelings got through.)
Having made that judgment, Ryota headed back to his seat…
(I get it. Mitsuki. She’s holding back because she doesn’t want to be a bother to me.)
He thought. ──In a self-centered direction.
(Stubborn bastard! I’m telling you I’ll handle it! And… That guy… I absolutely can’t forgive him…!)
He wanted to do something for the three sisters.
No, he had to do something. Driven by that impulse.
(What the hell is wrong with that guy?! He’s just some upstart, right?! I’m her childhood friend! I’ve been with Mitsuki way longer than you have…!)
His righteous indignation flared toward this unknown entity whose name and face he didn’t even know.
(I’m her childhood friend! Mitsuki trusts me more than you do! Even in just this conversation, I can tell Mitsuki really sees me! She said she’s glad we’re in the same class! Yet!)
And on top of that, hatred and rage boiled within me. Once again, I thought this.
(I still can’t forgive him…! Mitsuki said it’s fine, but I’m going to act. This is for Mitsuki’s sake. I absolutely have to free Mitsuki from that guy—!)
◆
Ryota doesn’t notice.
(…Why is that? Ryota’s saying exactly what Kozora-kun told me earlier.)
That Mitsuki is thinking the same thing.
(Why doesn’t it resonate at all? …Am I just cold-hearted? Or maybe…)
That she—the one Ryota called ‘absent-minded’—is actually thinking deeply.
(…Ryota’s ‘worry’. Is it really… us he’s worried about?)
She’s also gradually approaching one core truth.
Furthermore.
(I still don’t get it. But… I’m really glad I ended up in the same class as Ryota.)
The true meaning behind the words she spoke earlier.
(It’s good we’re in the same class, not in different ones. Because—)
Mitsuki silently states within herself the true meaning of the words Ryota misunderstood.
(If we’re in the same class—I’ll know right away if Ryota tries to do something weird)
…Even Mitsuki .
It’s not that she particularly wants to be wary of Ryota.
They’ve been through a lot, after all. They’re childhood friends.
She does care about him to some extent, and there was definitely a time when his presence saved her.
But… especially seeing Ryota lately, she can’t help but wonder.
…Is he really… okay with everything?
(…I owe Ryota a debt. Not just me, but all of us sisters owe him a huge debt.)
Mitsuki also recalled what Tomoka had once told about
When the three Mitsuki sisters faced their father’s opposition to their dreams. Someone had persuaded him, and that person had come forward as Ryota himself.
(But…)
On top of that, Mitsuki thinks.
…There’s something slightly puzzling about that whole thing.
Surely, others besides Mitsuki have noticed too.
They’ve noticed, yet deliberately avoid confirming it. they still want to believe that Ryota truly was the benefactor back then.
Because—they don’t want to end up hating their childhood friend.
(…It’s okay to believe, right? That it was Ryota who persuaded Dad back then… That our childhood friend isn’t that terrible… It’s okay to think that…?)
The desire to believe and the doubt about whether that’s really okay swirl around in her mind.
There are plenty of other things to think about too, like her sisters…
(…Thinking about this is kind of tiring.)
Lightly massaging her temples against the slight fatigue… Mitsuki suddenly thought.
(…Kozora-kun. I want to see you again. If I could see you and get another hug, I feel like this tiredness would vanish in an instant—but)
Then, she became aware of her own thoughts.
Mitsuki’s face flushed bright red.
(W-What am I thinking…?! Feeling this way about a boy I just met…)
Mitsuki’s slightly flustered state… combined with the gap between her innate, peerless beauty and her usual coolness, was utterly endearing. It pierced the hearts of several male students who had been stealing glances at her.
The one who made her look like that—Kozora Yui—was still unknown to them.
Himekami Ryota hadn’t yet realized his own misunderstanding, nor that his childhood friend’s heart was gradually drifting away.
Nor that the moment was slowly drawing nearer.
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