Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16816927860895175888/episodes/16816927861108743435
[—I’m sorry, Kei. Let’s break up.]
After school. In a junior high school classroom.
The sunset sky shines through the window, and from outside, I can hear the baseball team’s almost angry shouts.
[Have you decided to go to Tokyo……?]
I had a feeling she would say that to me a while ago.
The only thing is, when she actually said it, my whole body was flooded with a disgusting amount of weird sweat.
[I’m sorry……. I can’t give up on my dream of becoming a model after all.]
[I see.]
[I’m really, really…..sorry.]
With tears streaming down her face, she bowed her head repeatedly.
My relationship with her was a typical childhood friend, with houses next door to each other and a family relationship.
At first we were friends. Then we became aware of each other as the opposite sex when we were in junior high school.
I confessed my feelings to her, she said she felt the same way, and we started dating.
It lasted a little over a year.
We spent a lot of time together before we started dating, but after we became lovers, we enjoyed each other’s company in a different way.
[There’s nothing to apologize for. You wanna be a model. You’ve always said it’s been your dream since you were little.]
The city where we lived was so far away from Tokyo that we had to take a plane to get there.
I was not confident that we would be able to support a long-distance relationship, and I felt that my presence would interfere with her dream, so I couldn’t bring up the option.
[But ! ……But.]
[I’m supporting your dream. So don’t cry…..]
Watching her crying face, a tear drops down my cheek.
I tried to wipe them away and smile, but the tears just kept coming.
[A-anyway, I’ll be rooting for you ! So go ahead. I’ll be right with you.]
[Kei……. Thank you. I’ll do my best. I will definitely become a famous model.]
She forced herself to smile with tears streaking down her face.
She was my childhood friend and the first girlfriend I had when I was in junior high school—Hayase Ayana.
A few days later, she moved to Tokyo to become a model, which had been her dream since she was a child.
♦
Her black hair, which had grown to around her waist since she was in junior high school, was cut to about shoulder-length.
Her eyes, which are long and slit, give her a beautiful, mature impression rather than a cute one.
She was about 165 tall, with a slender figure.
When I met my girlfriend again after a long time—Hayase Ayana had changed into a truly beautiful woman.
“Erm……..”
“……”
We froze with our eyes fixed on each other.
“Oh, could it be that you two know each other?”
Sagara san looked at me and Ayana with a dazed look on his face.
“If you’re an acquaintance, then I can—“
“–We’re not acquaintances, so it’s fine.”
Ayana said clearly.
Of course, the clear voice she had now had changed from the childish voice she had when she was in junior high school.
“I see. He is Tachibana Kei, who will be in charge of Ayana san starting today.”
“I see…..”
Ayana lowered her gaze and tightened her grip on the hand that was holding her arm.
And when she saw me, she bowed her head.
“I’m looking forward to working with you from today.”
It was a stranger’s greeting.
The words were somewhat reserved.
“She mainly streams for women—“
“Sagara san, I’ll explain the rest myself.”
“Eh, but…..”
“I’d like to explain myself to the person who will be in charge.”
Hearing Ayana’s words, Sagara san, who knew nothing, clapped his hands in agreement.
“All right, then I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Sagara san left the room.
When it was just me and Ayana in the living room, she sat down on the sofa.
“……Long time no see, Kei.”
“You remembered me?”
“OIf course. How could I forget?”
At her urging, I sat down in a nearby chair.
“….I’d never thought that the new person in charge would be Kei. Kei didn’t hear anything about me either, right?”
“Well, yeah. There was a lot going on before we left, and Sagara san seemed busy. I think he forgot.”
“That’s an important thing, though, isn’t it?”
Ayana smiled bitterly, but both she and I knew that the topics we really wanted to talk about were different.
I just didn’t know if I should talk about it, so I couldn’t ask her.
We were both silent.
But I realize that if I don’t ask, it won’t start.
“….How did your dream of becoming a model work out for you?”
“…….”
Ayana didn’t say anything back.
It’s probably something she doesn’t want to say. I think it would be better if we didn’t talk about things like that and the relationship was just about work, but I still wanted to hear it from her.
“….I gave up on it.”
I knew that was true since she was working as a streamer.
“I came to Tokyo with a dream, but I gave up my dream without ever working as a model. Even though Kei gave me a push and supported me.”
Ayana buried her face in her knees to hide her tears.
“I was no good. There are many people in the world who are better than me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make it. I auditioned many times but failed, and I needed money to go to a training school, so I spent many hours. I had a part-time job and tried my best, but…my heart broke first.”
Ever since she was a little, Ayana had always talked about wanting to be a model.
And as my childhood friend, I know that she is a hard worker.
If she had her heart broken in the middle of the journey, she must have gone through a very painful experience.
“You could have asked me for advice.”
“But that’s—“
Ayana looked up, her eyes wet with tears.
“I can’t do that… Even though I dated Kei and we broke up because of my own selfish desires, there’s no way I can say I’m giving up on my dream of becoming a model because it’s painful. Even though I’ve caused you so much pain, I can’t even ask for advice…..”
“I don’t regret going out with you or accepting your choice to break up with you. I had a lot of fun dating Ayana for the past year. My thoughts haven’t changed.”
“Kei……”
“So, wouldn’t it have been better if you consulted with me, Ayana’s number one fan? Well, it’s not like I could do anything.”
I told her with a laugh.
To be honest, I knew that she did not become a model.
After she left for Tokyo, I kept searching the Internet for the name Hayase Ayana.
But I never found anything.
I also heard from Ayana’s parents that things were not going well. I thought about contacting her, but I didn’t know what to say to her.
“Thank you, Kei…..”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re working hard on something else right now, right?”
She started something new, something she wanted to do, and her efforts paid off.
“This time, I can help you with that. I won’t leave Ayana alone next time, so if you need anything, please talk to me, okay?”
When I asked her this, Ayana wiped away her tears and smiled.
“Yeah !”
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !