Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051596567318343/episodes/2912051597461530254
A table in the back of the family restaurant.
The server was looking at us with a frightened expression.
“Uh, fries and the drink bar, right?”
Saying this in a voice that clearly didn’t want to add “Enjoy your meal…,” the server disappeared into the kitchen.
I could understand that reaction.
Right in front of me was Chika, her face downcast, radiating a heavy, gloomy atmosphere.
It’s no wonder she’s scared of trouble.
“Hey, Yuna. I’m here, I’m here, so tell me already. Sawa’s contact info, hurry up!”
I could sense something frenzied in her eyes, which glowed with a dim light.
She clearly wasn’t calm.
It would have been faster to go to Ibusuki-kun’s house than to come here.
She’s lost even that much composure.
I can’t let Chika see Ibusuki-kun in this state.
I let out a sigh.
I’d regained my composure, but if I let my guard down, I might lose my rationality.
If Ibusuki-kun sees Chika like this, he might blame himself, thinking his lie is what put her in this state.
No, knowing how kind Ibusuki-kun is, he’d surely blame himself and try to fix things even if it meant getting hurt.
I absolutely won’t let that happen.
“Chika, calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! What should I do? What should I do? I’ve done something terrible.”
I really have done something terrible.
If I don’t stop her now, she’ll do something even worse.
My teeth ground together with a sharp click.
Watching her just made me more and more irritated.
I felt like a fool for hiding my depression and acting cheerful.
I’d been holding back, telling myself I couldn’t apologize because I’d be taking away his only joy—and now I felt pathetic for it.
On top of that, Ibusuki-kun’s childhood friend, and he’s even said he cares deeply for her.
Even though she was in a position where I could have gone mad with jealousy, she kept directing nothing but hatred
And yet, now she is begging for forgiveness, trying to return to where she was before.
At the thought of my lawlessness toward the one I love, the blood drained from my face, and I fumbled through my bag.
My hand moved toward the cord as if by reflex, but I… managed to stop myself.
——Chika has her own reasons.
Since she had no way of knowing that I’d been helped by Ibusuki-kun, it’s only natural she’d misunderstand and feel betrayed.
Besides, it’s a good thing she’s reflecting on her mistake enough to be so distraught.
It’s proof of just how much she cared about Ibusuki-kun. And the fact that Ibusuki-kun is cherished by someone is a wonderful thing.
I pulled my hand out of my bag and propped my chin on it.
Chika isn’t at fault.
That’s the conclusion I came to.
Well, even though she didn’t know, I still don’t think it’s forgivable.
After all, I haven’t forgiven myself either.
Even in this case, if I hadn’t introduced Chika, I could have eliminated the risk to Ibusuki-kun… ugh.
I felt like I was going to pass out from the guilt, but now wasn’t the time for that.
“Calm down. Just wait a moment.”
I went to the drink station and brought back a cup of hot green tea.
I dropped in a single ice cube. It made a popping sound as it cracked.
I stirred it with a spoon, then pulled it out once it had melted away.
“Here.”
I handed the teacup to Chika, who was trembling like a wet puppy.
The steam wavered. The pleasant aroma of green tea filled my lungs, and my prickly emotions softened.
“Um, yeah…”
While Chika sipped slowly, I got up and called her house. It seemed she had indeed run away, so her mother was deeply relieved to hear my story.
When they found out about Ibusuki-kun, I’d only had negative thoughts—like, “She was friends with that guy?”—but I was glad I’d gone to her house and exchanged contact information.
“…I’m sorry, Yuna.”
By the time I returned, Chika had regained a little composure.
The fries had arrived, so I listened to Chika’s story while devouring them.
“Hmm.”
“I’m sorry. It’s about Sawa, who I was with today. I’d been under the mistaken impression that he’d treated me terribly all along.”
“Hmm.”
“So I pushed him away, telling him never to get involved with me again.”
“Hmm.”
“But he was actually helping me. He didn’t betray me at all. That’s why I want to apologize.”
“Hmm. You’ll have to apologize to him someday…”
“Someday isn’t good enough. I want to apologize to Sawa right now. I want him to forgive me as soon as possible.”
“……Hm? Why?”
“Because I’ve liked Sawa for a long time—I like him so, so much I can’t stand it.”
……It seems it’s not just that she wants to apologize because he was important to her as a childhood friend.
No, I’d vaguely suspected it.
When I asked her what her type was, Ibusuki-kun’s face popped into my head.
Her panic can’t be explained by just being childhood friends.
It’s harder to believe that Chika doesn’t like Ibusuki-kun.
I look at Chika’s face. Even drenched in tears, she’s still beautiful. It’s the kind of face Ibusuki-kun would naturally fall for.
A dark emotion, a mix of intense jealousy and possessiveness, wells up inside me.
Ah, I want to settle this right here and now.
But I don’t have that right.
Even if the law doesn’t punish murder, I still don’t have that right.
However, I do have a duty to keep her away from Ibusuki-kun.
“So please! Yuna! Tell me Sawa’s contact info!”
“No way. Think about it. Ibusuki-kun kept quiet because he was thinking of Chika, didn’t he?”
“Eh…”
“Ibusuki-kun took on the role of the villain because he thought it would be fine as long as Chika’s relationship with her mother worked out. He was actually worried if this was really the right thing to do. But if Chika, who’s in this state right now, desperately apologizes to him, wouldn’t he start thinking that what he did might have been wrong? She’s actually been saved by getting a good mother—you wouldn’t want to make him think he was wrong, would you?”
“U-uh, yeah, that’s true, but…”
“So at least wait a few days and calm down first. Right now, your desire to apologize is getting in the way, and you’re not thinking clearly. You need to decide exactly what you’re going to say and how you’re going to apologize before you do it.”
“Uh, um, Yuna…”
“What? Was I wrong about what I said?”
Chika tilted her head, indicating that wasn’t the issue.
“How do you know that Sawa helped fix the parent-child relationship?”
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