Chapter 2: Progress 2
Chapter 2: Progress 2
Today is actually Hoshimiya's day-off from the work, so we decided to stop at a café on the way home.
Of course, it was Hoshimiya who invited me.
The café was fairly crowded inside, creating a lively atmosphere rather than being relaxing.
Above all, the bright lighting uplifted the mood.
If this café had a stylish and trendy feeling into it, I will not hesitate to go home.
"Do you come here often?"
"Yeah, I come with my friends."
Hoshimiya, sitting across from me, said with a smile.
Then my gaze fell upon the parfait placed on the table.
"Are you going to eat all of that?"
"...It might not easy."
Hoshimiya chuckled. Well, it is indeed a parfait, but the size was odd. It was about the size of a small bucket. I think they called it a jumbo parfait.
There's a lot of sliced fruits, and chocolates that were cramped leaving no gaps on the bucket. Just looking at it made me feel full.
"I didn't order this before so I'm intrigued. But it's even bigger than I imagined... I don't think I can finish this alone." Hoshimiya said.
"They probably didn't originally intend for it to be eaten alone, right? They provided two spoons after all."
Furthermore, the jumbo parfait was placed in the center of the table.
The staff must have considered it easier for two people to eat together.
"Kuromine-kun, would you like to eat it together?"
"Like, Sure, I guess."
Without any reason to refuse, I took a spoon in hand and joined Hoshimiya in devouring the parfait.
At first, I didn't think much about it, but suddenly I realized the current situation.
Uhhh.... it feels like we're a real couple. A guy and a girl poking at the same parfait!
Hoshimiya is Hoshimiya, after all. She probably said, "Let's eat together," without thinking much.
I see, that's the lightness of a gal...!
...Ah, suddenly I'm getting nervous. My heart is starting to beat fast.
I close my eyes once and focus on my inner self.
When you clear your mind, even fire becomes cool.
"────"
With a determined look in my eyes, I start eating the parfait in silence.
That's right, I'm the only one who's conscious of it.
Hoshimiya is enjoying the parfait without a care in the world... Hmm?
I shortly a glance at Hoshimiya's face, and at the exact same moment, Hoshimiya looks at me too.
We both freeze with our spoons in hand.
Then Hoshimiya says, "Ah, ahaha..." and blushes shyly.
Ah, I wasn't the only one who was conscious of it.
Upon closer inspection, Hoshimiya's cheeks have turned slightly red.
I could feel the awkwardness and tension in Hoshimiya's hand as she moved her spoon.
As soon as I realized that, a sudden sense a relief washed over me, and I let out a light chuckle.
"Ku-Kuromine-kun? D-Did I... do something weird?" Hoshimiya asked with her trembling voice.
"No, there's nothing wrong," shooking my head.
As Hoshimiya looked at me with a puzzled looked.
◇ ◇ ◇
This is a story from when Riku-chan and I were in middle school.
"Why am I the only one who survived?"
A few days after that accident...
In the empty, lifeless living room, Riku-chan muttered a simple question.
"Why am I the only one who survived?"
Those words carried all of Riku-chan's emotions within them.
Without raising his voice, neither shedding tears, or expressing sadness...
He simply gazed into the empty void.
I think he even forgotten about me who was there beside him.
With a detached expression, Riku-chan stood frozen in the empty living room.
"Riku-chan, shall we go? Grandma and Grandpa are waiting," I said.
"............"
"Riku-chan..."
He didn't even turn his face towards me... He couldn't afford to have such composure.
I wondered what I could do for Riku-chan in that moment.
This is just my personal belief, but I think childhood friends are the closest bonds we have after family.
Especially in our case.
The reason we met was because our houses were next to each other.
Since we were young, we were always together.
We visited each other's houses, took baths together, and slept in the same bed...
We were childhood friends.
This relationship is a stronger and tighter bond than relatives, friends, or even future romantic partners.
That's what childhood friends are.
We've grown up together since we were little. It's natural for us to always be together.
So if Riku-chan is feeling sad, I become sad too.
I want to be by his side no matter what.
"Riku-chan."
"............"
"I can't claim to be a substitute for your family or anything like that. But you see, we're childhood friends... we can support each other like family."
"Haruno...?"
Even though his voice sounded fragile, Riku-chan slowly moved his head and looked at me.
"No matter what happens, I will be always by your side. Just like before, I'll be there as your childhood friend, no matter what."
"............"
"Because we're childhood friends, we should accept each other"
I stared into Riku-chan's vacant eyes that showed nothing, but I spoke with all my heart.
"Because we're childhood friends... because we've been together for so long, like family..."
"............"
"Riku-chan, you don't have to hold back anything with me. When it's tough, you can cry, and when you want to rely on someone, you can lean on me. As your childhood friend, I will accept everything about you."
To me, childhood friends are a very pure relationship that is not influenced by gender, age, or personality traits.
Isn't it that same as family?
No matter what kind of personalities our parents have, the essence of the feelings we have for our relatives will not change.
That's why I want to do everything what I can for Riku-chan, my childhood friend.
It doesn't matter what kind of personality Riku-chan has, and it doesn't matter if he is a boy or a girl. Childhood friend are childhood friend...
I want you to always by side, Riku-chan.
But that was a misunderstanding... The desire to be with Riku-chan's side wasn't because we were childhood friends.
That was just my own feelings as Haruno.
◆◆◆
"...Riku-chan and Ayana-chan, they're going home together again today..."
I hid behind the school building, confirming Riku-chan and Ayana-chan coming out from the entrance.
I held my breath and silently watched their backs as they passed through the school gate.
"...Those two, it feels like their distance is getting closer and closer."
With each passing day, it seemed like two of them were growing closer.
There wasn't a day that I wasn't curious about what Riku-chan was up to.
I restrained myself all this time, but I've reached my limit...
"Alright, today is the day."
Having made up my mind, I stealthily followed them.
◆◆◆
"Guuuurrr! These two... they're being lovey-dovey! They're being incredibly lovey-dovey!"
I followed them from a certain distance and watched them from behind a telephone pole.
Ah, Ayana-chan... She made Riku-chan hold her hand! And Riku-chan is all into it!
Not even that, they're comfortable with each other... They're naturally touching each other's arms and stuff.
"E-every day... Are they going home while being so lovey-dovey?"
It's not good, Riku-chan. It's too soon for that kind of thing with you.
...No, it's not about being too soon. Because Riku-chan is mine...
"My... childhood friend?"
Huh? Something felt different. It's obvious that we're childhood friends, but...
Lately, I haven't been able to accept their relationship, and I've been living in a constant state of dissatisfaction and hate.
Above all, even though Riku-chan said, "There's nothing between Hoshimiya and me," he went out with Ayana-chan on a day off and held her tightly.
The sight of Riku-chan embracing Ayana-chan... I can't forget it.
"Riku-chan, you smile at other girls too, not just me... Huh."
Riku-chan seemed a little embarrassed when Ayana-chan said something to him.
Seeing Riku-chan like that, my chest twinged with pain.
"Why do I feel so terrible...? It should be a good thing to see Riku-chan happy."
But why isn't it me should be with Riku-chan?
I know the reason behind it. It's because I rejected him.
"But... I still don't understand romantic feelings... and dating someone I don't like..."
I wanted just a little more time.
Until Riku-chan confessed to me, I never thought about things like relationships or love with the opposite sex. I didn't have time to think about them.
Just being with my childhood friend Riku-chan was enough to make me satisfied with everything.
So, I wanted just a little more time.
I unconsciously believed that I could be with my childhood friend no matter what happened.
...Was that a mistake?
"But I... I didn't explicitly reject Riku-chan..."
I just said that I saw him as a childhood friend, not as a romantic interest.
I wanted some time to sort out my own emotions and just think.
"...Just a little more time, to observe them..."
I started following them again. Sneaking behind the telephone pole...
◆◆◆
"It's frustrating... I'm incredibly frustrated!"
I was so irritated that I unconsciously clenched my teeth.
I stared at the two of them coming out of the café from behind the telephone pole, barely restraining myself from shouting.
The café had glass walls, allowing me to see inside.
Of course, I had been closely observing Riku-chan and Ayana-chan's interactions.
To confirm it up close, I repeatedly walked back and forth on the street in front of the café, hiding my face with my bag.
"...Huh? Why am I feeling so frustrated?"
As I watched the backs of the two of them walking on the sidewalk, I momentarily regained some composure.
I don't understand myself lately. I've been constantly overwhelmed by incomprehensible emotions.
"Argh! It's so infuriating!"
For some reason, I couldn't stand it anymore. I just couldn't calm down.
My frustration reached its peak.
The atmosphere between them was filled with the intoxicating feeling of lovers, and I was so frustrated that tears welled up.
"Why am I so bothered by this?"
As Riku-chan said, we're just childhood friends, nothing more.
For me, a childhood friend means always being together.
It's a relationship where we've been together since we were young, just like family.
There's no doubt about having family by your side. It's the same for childhood friends...
"Riku-chan had such a gentle expression. That face was meant only for me!"
My precious childhood friend is having fulfilling moments.
That should make me incredibly happy.
But why...?
I don't want to see Riku-chan like this, not right now.
I don't want Riku-chan to have fun with other girls besides me!
"This is the first time I've felt like this... Oh, I see."
Until now, Riku-chan never talked to other girls besides me.
That's why I've never had this kind of feeling before...
"...Where are those two going? Isn't the station that way?"
Come to think of it, Ayana-chan commutes by train... Could it be?
"I have to make sure."
To shake off the uneasy feeling, I once again followed two of them.
◇ ◇ ◇
I followed Riku-chan and Ayana-chan onto the train.
After a few stations, I followed them as they got off, and we arrived at an old two-story wooden apartment building.
"...Huh?"
I witnessed the two of them entering the same apartment, and I let out a dumbfounded sound.
I couldn't move a step from the telephone pole, my legs feels numb and unresponsive. (TL: Why always telephone pole?)
...
After waiting for a while, I went to check the mailboxes in the apartment building.
I saw a mailbox with "203 Hoshimiya" written on it.
"So they're... living together after all..."
I had a vague feeling that it might be the case.
After all, I walked the same route to school as Riku-chan every morning, but I never once saw him. And after school, the two of them would leave the classroom together.
I followed them to confirm this as well.
"But... maybe it's just a coincidence, just for today..."
Perhaps Riku-chan happened to visit Ayana-chan's house only today.
Believing in reason that it's only convenient to me. I continued to wait for Riku-chan to come out until the sun set, not moving a step from near the telephone pole, staring intently at Ayana-chan's door.
Several hours passed, and before I knew it, darkness had enveloped the surroundings.
I checked the time on my smartphone, and it displayed 9 PM.
Still, I didn't go home. I was determined to wait for Ayana-chan's door to open.
But there was no sign of it opening at all.
I received a message from my mother on my phone, expressing her concern about me.
"Hey, Riku-chan... Are you living together with Ayana-chan?"
I asked Riku-chan, who should be in Ayana-chan's room.
"Being alone together at this hour...? What are you two doing right now? Even if you we're in a relationship, this kind of thing... it's not right."
───You told me you liked me.
In the next moment, my vision blurred. Something hot gathered in my eyes, and a tear rolled down my cheek.
Tears were overflowing.
"Why... why am I crying?"
I wiped away the tears with my hand.
No matter how much I wiped, the tears kept flowing.
Like a breaking dam, once the wall's broke, water will never stop flowing.
"........!"
The presence that was by my side starts to blur.
A sense of loss.
The person who's always been beside of me, the person who always acknowledge me.
That person has gone far away.
"A-ah... no... no!"
Finally, I feel the weight of what I've lost.
Riku-chan being by my side was a given.
I never doubted that.
Because we've been childhood friends, I thought we would always be together...
Unconsciously, I convinced myself of that and didn't think about anything else.
Being together because we're childhood friends... No, it's not like that.
"I, I want to be with Riku-chan myself."
Seeing Riku-chan getting along with Ayana-chan, I finally realize.
───I want to be his special someone, just me.
"I... I liked Riku-chan."
I've been granted that will be always with Riku-chan.
No, Riku-chan was always like that. He's always been by my side.
But I taken it too lightly.
With tears streaming down my face, I make a firm resolve.
"I won't give up. I won't let this be the end."
I wipe away my tears and take a deep breath.
From this moment on, I will confront my feelings and take action.
I won't let Riku-chan slip away without a fight.
"I'll confess my feelings to him. I'll tell him how much he means to me."
The determination in my voice gives me strength.
I stand up from the spot where I've been watching, my eyes focused on the apartment where Riku-chan and Ayana-chan are.
No matter what obstacles lie ahead, I will face them head-on.
Because I finally understand the depth of my feelings for Riku-chan.
And I won't let her get him without a fight.
Chapter 2 Part 2 End
Sheesh, finally back, finally got freed from school works. Welcome for corrections. Lastly, we almost reach the manga. If only manga has many dialogues like LN, we might be ahead. Ko-fi 👇
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