Chapter 1: Reunion 3
Chapter 1: Reunion 3
The sound of the alarm on my smartphone ringing forcibly awakens my consciousness.
I fumble around and grab my smartphone, simultaneously turning off the alarm and checking the time. It's 4 o'clock.
I need to wake up early because I have a three-hour bike ride ahead, but... I'm still sleepy.
I take off the jersey I borrowed from Hoshimiya and change into the school uniform I was wearing last night.
I thought it wouldn't be safe to leave silently, so I went to Hoshimiya, who was sleeping peacefully in bed... It's not like I had any sinister thoughts about wanting to see a girl's sleeping face.
"...Mom... Dad..."
Surprisingly, Hoshimiya... was sobbing and calling out for her parents, tears streaming down her cheeks. She really loves her parents.
She was crying so much just by imagining their absence.
"Hoshimiya."
"...Hm?"
I call her name and gently shake her shoulder. She slowly opens her droopy eyelids and looks up at me with dazed eyes.
"Kuromine-kun... Why are you in my house?"
It seems like she hasn't fully grasped reality.
"Is this not a dream? Yesterday, you let me stay over, right?"
Continuing the conversation with a vague sense of discomfort.
"Mmm... That's right. What time is it now?"
"It's 4 o'clock. Sorry for waking you up early. I wanted to talk to you before I leave. You have to lock the door."
After yawning.
"...Good morning~"
"That maybe is bit late to say right now but, good morning."
This is how Hoshimiya is in the morning, huh? My impression of mine was, she was cute and childlike.
◇◇◇
I waited for Hoshimiya to fully wake up, and then she saw me off to the entrance.
I hopped on my bicycle and began my early morning cycling.
It was a grueling journey that lasted for three hours.
Despite the cool morning breeze hitting my entire body, I was sweating a lot. Finally arriving at my home, a fifteen-story apartment building. My home is on the fifth floor, with a four-bedroom layout.
I have continued to live here even after my family passed away.
Although it feels spacious for a person living alone, I have accustomed to it already.
After returning home, I took a quick shower and changed back into my school uniform.
And so, it's now time to go to school.
"I don't want to go to school."
My true feelings slipped out. We're in the same class as Hoshimiya. That's fine but,
The childhood friend who rejected me is also in the same class as me. That's awkward.
And then...
The doorbell rings inside the room, signaling either a melody from hell or the arrival of the Grim Reaper.
...It's just the doorbell. The question is, who is pressing it?
Basing on my intuition, it's my childhood friend. I don't want to go out. But I can't just stay inside either.
With my bag in hand, I reluctantly move my foolish legs that seem to want to cling to the floor.
Arriving at the door, I take a deep gulp, I open the door with a deliberate motion.
"Good morning, Riku-chan! It's another beautiful day today!"
"............"
She really came with a cheerful and energetic greeting.
She is my childhood friend, Harukaze Haruno, without a doubt.
Her bright smile that she seems aware that would make anyone happy, seemingly unaware of my pain.
Her beautiful hair, reaching down to her shoulders, sways in the wind, and the faint fragrance of flowers, resembling the scent of shampoo she wears, wafts through the air.
Despite having a smaller body than average, Haruno's presence is striking with her sparkling atmosphere.
Her personality is pleasant, bright, and kind... I don't think there is anyone at school who dislikes her.
Haruno gets along well with everyone, and I'm sure she was popular since middle school... No, even since elementary school.
By the way, I have always been treated as a bonus addition to Haruno. In fact, I was even called "goldfish droppings."
But I didn't mind being even droppings as long as I could be with Haruno. That was who I was until yesterday.
"Where were you yesterday? We couldn't reach you, and you weren't at home either."
"I had some business and went far away yesterday. I forgot to bring my cellphone; I left it at home."
"What kind of business? What was it?"
"It's a secret."
I was on my way to commit suicide in the mountains because you rejected me!
But I couldn't say that. Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was.
"It's not good to keep secrets from your childhood friend!"
"Even if you say that... By the way, do you remember what happened yesterday? I confessed to you..."
"Yeah. Oh, but I still want us to remain good friends as childhood friends."
...Isn't that too cruel? In terms of web novels, it would be rated as "R-18 with extra twist in it." (TL: Is he talking about NTR stuff?)
Moreover, Haruno is not saying it with hate. She genuinely wants to continue having friends with me.... The fact that there is no hate makes it even more hurtful.
"Is it possible?"
"It's quite painful."
"But you know, wanting to be with me means wanting to spend time together, right? Even if we're not in a romantic relationship, Riku-chan and I have been childhood friends, and we'll always be together, so I don't think there's any problem."
She seems to genuinely believe that, and Haruno tilts her head with a puzzled expression.
I'm starting to feel like I'm dealing with a kindergartener. Does she not have any romantic feelings towards me?
Nevertheless, frustratingly enough, whenever I'm in front of Haruno, my heart pounds rapidly.
"Hey, Haruno. From now on, we..."
"Come on! Let's go to school quickly! We'll be late!"
As if nothing had happened, as if our previous relationship was completely normal, Haruno tightly holds my hand and drove me to go to school. Then, I thought to myself, what if I could stop liking Haruno...
Even after being rejected, I still love this childhood friend of mine.
◇◇◇
*Sigh*... I knew it would turn out like this.
In the morning classroom, surrounded by a lively atmosphere, I sit at my desk, holding my head and sighing.
The reason is, of course, Haruno. I can't help but gaze at her unintentionally.
It's only natural for our instincts as human beings to look at someone we like when they're in the same classroom.
Sitting in the back seat by the window, I emit an aura of darkness.
Haruno's seat is the second one from the front, near the corridor. During break time, several classmates gather around her seat. Even now, three girls are talking to her.
Occasionally, boys also approach her... Oh, the short-haired handsome guy who happens to be the center of the class is approaching Haruno with a slightly bashful smile.
"Hey, Harukaze, how about going to the cafeteria together for lunch today?"
"Oh, sorry. I have plans to spend time with Riku-chan," Haruno replies.
"I see... Well, invite me another time then," the rejected short-haired handsome guy says and returns to his seat where his friends have gathered.
On his way back, he glances at me with a dissatisfied expression.
Well, I understand his feelings. I understand, but I'm the one who feels more dissatisfied.
"That's right, let's focus on something other than Haruno."
If I keep only looking at her, it will only bring me more pain.
I slowly scan the classroom and my eyes land on Hoshimiya, who is in the central area of the classroom, engaged in a conversation with another gal-like girl.
"...She looks completely different from her plain mode last night."
Her messy impression is gone, and her brown hair is now tied up in a ponytail. She has a moderate amount of makeup on her cute face, not too flashy. There is no overwhelming impression. Her aura is sparkling, giving off a sense of being in the top caste. Her conversations are mixed with occasional smiles, and she stands out with her noticeable cuteness.
Well, she didn't have that much of a plain look when she worked at the convenience store.
"I wonder if no one has ever confessed to her..."
I've heard the guys in the classroom talking about Hoshimiya in various ways.
It seems Hoshimiya has been popular since her first year.
As the days went by, more and more guys started paying attention to her. And now, in our second year, Hoshimiya is said to be one of the most popular girls in the school. Well, with that kind of aura, it's no wonder she's popular.
However, Hoshimiya mentioned that she has never been confessed to... Why is that?
There's another gal-like girl talking to Hoshimiya. I don't know her name. Or rather, I don't remember it. Her gaze is sharp and intimidating.
She has a well-defined face leaning more towards beauty rather than cuteness, but her intimidating gaze gives off a scary impression. She seems more like a delinquent than a gal.
"Riku-chan! Where you looking at?"
"...Haruno."
My heart skips a beat. Haruno is standing right next to me.
"Why were you looking at Ayana-chan intently."
"...I can look at whoever I want, can't I?"
"Well, that's true... But whenever I look at you, our eyes always meet..."
Haruno's voice gradually becomes smaller. Towards the end, I could barely hear her.
"Maybe I should dress up like Ayana-chan too."
"...Why?"
"Hmm, I don't know... Just a feeling, I guess."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Haruno genuinely seems unsure. She's questioning her own statement.
But from my perspective, the reason is quite obvious.
It's jealousy.
When you see the person you like being captivated by someone of the opposite sex, you can't help but feel competitive.
Haruno is oblivious to this... Or at least, that's what the old me would have thought, jumping with joy at the opportunity! But Haruno only sees me as her childhood friend. Her remark earlier about dressing up like Ayana-chan was probably just a passing comment.
"Hey, Riku-chan."
"Hm....?"
For some reason, Haruno squints her eyes and stares at me intently.
This is Haruno's face when she's angry or about to get angry!
"By any chance... Were you with Ayana-chan last night, were you?"
"...!"
"Riku-chan?"
There's no mistake. Right now, I am... being threaten by a murderous gaze!
If I answer incorrectly, I feel like my throat will be slit with a knife right instant.
Well, Haruno doesn't have a knife, though.
But hey, look at that... There's a cold smile plastered on her face... This seems dangerous.
"That's not right. It's too early for you to that kind of thing, Riku-chan."
"N-No..."
"Riku-chan and I are childhood friends, you know. We've spent as much time together as family... So I have to make sure you will not do anything weird."
"What do you mean by 'weird'?"
"...Well, there are rumors going around about Ayana-chan having connections with various boys."
Haruno says it with a hint of apology. I understand what she's trying to convey.
However, I can assert that it's not true based on my interaction with Hoshimiya last night.
"Those rumors are baseless."
"Yeah, I think so too. But, as a possibility..."
While looking at me, Haruno blushingly says this.
"If you're interested in that kind of thing... I'll do my best as your childhood friend! Riku-chan..."
...I didn't want Haruno as just a childhood friend. I wanted her as a lover.
Why is Haruno so fixated on being childhood friends to that extent?
It feels like she has an abnormal obsession with our childhood friend relationship.
"If you say that... Then wouldn't it be okay for us to date?"
"Huh? I only have feelings for you as a childhood friend... I don't have romantic feelings."
Guuuhh Aah!! It feels like my heart just got drilled.
To keep myself composed, I decide to change the subject.
There's no way Hoshimiya and I have anything between us.
"I'm telling you the truth."
"Oh, really? I was just thinking... Hoshimiya is so cute that it might actually make it difficult for someone to confess to her. Plus, Kana-chan is always around."
"Kana? Ah, that gal."
I surmise that she's referring to the intimidating gal who is often with Hoshimiya.
"I heard that Kana-chan acts in a threatening manner to prevent guys from approaching Ayana-chan... or something like that."
And I only respond with a nonchalant "Hmm."
From our interaction last night, it became clear that Hoshimiya isn't used to dealing with guys.
Nothing at all, actually. Her gal appearance is just for appearance after all.
It's possible that Kana, who is Hoshimiya's friend, knows about this and she's protecting her... probably.
"Hey, Riku-chan. Do you remember anything about last name Hoshimiya?"
"Well, she's a classmate... isn't it?"
"Oh, uh, never mind. Don't worry about it."
Haruno smiled brightly as if trying to cover something up. What could it be?
"Haruno! Come take a look at this."
A female student who was looking at her smartphone at Haruno's desk called out to her, loud enough for us to hear. Haruno raised her hand and cheerfully replied, "Coming!"
"See you later, Riku-chan! Oh, by the way, I packed mini hamburgers in today's bento because I know you like them!"
With that, Haruno returned to her seat and resumed her conversation with her friend. Just like always.
Now, what should I do? As I thought about it, I unconsciously started to gaze at Haruno when...
"What!? Ayana, did you really let Kuromine stay over at your house!?"
Kana's surprised voice drowned out the noise in the classroom, bringing a moment of silence. Wait, what?
In the next moment, all of our classmates' eyes turned towards Hoshimiya and Kana.
"H-Hey, Kana! Your voice is too loud!"
"But Ayana... Wait, you're dating Kuromine?"
"W-We're not dating, but..."
Hoshimiya's small voice spread through the now quiet classroom. That might have been a bit dangerous.
Immediately, my concerns were confirmed. The boys in the class started whispering to each other.
"Hey, seriously? Hoshimiya let a guy she's not even dating stay over at her house?"
"Is the rumor about her playing around actually true? I thought it was sure just rumor."
"She's surprisingly innocent for a gal, isn't she?"
"So Hoshimiya is a slut, huh?"
"Wait a minute. First of all, who is this Kuromine guy?"
...Can I cry? Why is all the attention focused on me?
As a classmate who wasn't even acknowledged by others...
Just as I was thinking that, it seemed I was recognized in a different sense. I heard a certain guy's voice.
"Kuromine... Oh, that guy. The one who's clinging to my Haruno-chan."
Ahaha, I'm gonna kill you. Haruno doesn't belong to anyone.
However, what most of the boys in the classroom thought was that Hoshimiya let a guy who wasn't her boyfriend stay over at her house. They couldn't help but imagine what might have happened next, even though nothing actually did.
"Uh, um... Ah..."
Hoshimiya, seemingly sensitive to the surrounding gaze and thoughts, appeared visibly flustered.
Kana had a look on her face as if she wanted to say, "Oops." Well, it's your fault, isn't it?
...This is bad. With this situation, Hoshimiya will be labeled as a slut.
What should I do?
Based on my experience, it's best to crush rumors before they spread.
Right now, I needed to do something.
Hoshimiya is my savior.
I want to do something to help her... Ah, I see.
The current problem is that Hoshimiya let a guy who isn't her boyfriend stay over at her house.
Then, why not...? I should become Hoshimiya's boyfriend!
For a moment, Haruno's face flashed through my mind... But with a loud sound, I stood up from my chair.
Naturally, this gathered the attention of the entire classroom... Haha, you guys are paying too much attention.
"Hoshimiya... Thank you for being my girlfriend."
"...Eh, Kuromine-kun...?"
"Well, it was certainly worth it when confessing while crying. I never expected you to agree out of pity. But, aren't you too strict? you won't even hold hands.You let me stay over at your house yesterday, but you didn't allow anything to happen..."
"What are you saying, Kuromine-kun!? We...!"
"We promised to date for one month, right? Well, for one month... let's get along."
I continued to talk carelessly.
It was clearly not something to discuss in front of everyone, and it was obviously unnatural.
Nevertheless, it seemed to have an effect, as the guys in the classroom started to say things like:
"Crying confession, that's crazy."
"Hoshimiya started dating Kuromine out of pity, huh?"
"Limited time and not even holding hands... Is Hoshimiya that strict?"
"Well, I guess Hoshimiya wants to pretend they're not dating."
They freely expressed their opinions. It seemed like Hoshimiya's honor was somehow protected.
"W-Wait a minute! Kuromine-kun and I..."
Just as Hoshimiya stood up from her chair, about to say something, our homeroom teacher entered the classroom. Hoshimiya, whose momentum was interrupted, closed her mouth and quietly sat back down. I also took a seat and let out a sigh of relief. I handled the sudden accident perfectly, if I do say so myself. There's no doubt that Hoshimiya will thank me for this later... Huh?
"Mmmph!"
Hoshimiya turned to me, her face reddening as she glared at me.
Well, it was a gaze that lacked intensity... In fact, it had a cute hamster-like charm to it.
But it was clear that she was angry... Why though?
────!
I felt another intense gaze. Reflexively, I turned my face towards —her. Haruno's cheeks puffed up. Her face, resembling like hamster also, entering my field of vision. My face probably looked like a hamster too, but her eyes were clearly filled with anger. Uh-oh, Haruno must have figured out that I lied.
...So what?
Haruno and I are just childhood friends.
I confessed and she rejected me.
So, who I date shouldn't matter to her.
I'll make that clear to her during the next break.
Chapter 1 Part 3 End
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