Chapter 3: Turning Point
Chapter 3: Turning Point
"Kuromine-kun, thank you for everything up until now. Well, you don't have to... stay in this house anymore."
"W-What are you talking about? The stalker is still..."
"For these past three weeks, the stalker never showed up, right? It seems like I misunderstood."
Two days after resolving the incident with Haruno, Saturday morning came, but the atmosphere of Hoshimiya is kinda strange, leaving no logical reason why.
No, recently Hoshimiya seemed absent-minded or lost in thought about something.
She would wake up later than me and accidentally drop and break dishes...
I was worried that something might be wrong, and now this.
"...There might really be a stalker, right? Shouldn't we keep an eye on things a little longer?"
"How long are we going to keep watching? Forever? Until we graduate high school?"
"Well... until your parents come back or something?"
"I don't know when that will be."
...
Did I do something wrong?
Not too long ago - specifically, 'before' Haruno came to this house - Hoshimiya seems like she was enjoying our life together.
But now she's trying to sending me away. I can't understand this change.
"Oh... Hoshimiya's parents, aren't they supposed to come back in a year?"
"Uh, yeah... that's right."
She seems quite uncertain. It's an unusual reaction for Hoshimiya, who loves her parents.
"Anyway, I'll stay in this house a little longer."
"That's not good. I think Kuromine-kun should go back to your own home."
"Why are you trying to send me home? Recently, you really want me to stay here right?"
"..."
"Hoshimiya?"
"W-Well, if you think about it calmly, it's not a good situation, right? A guy and a girl who aren't even dating, living under the same roof..."
"I think it's a little late for you to say that now..."
"Argh! I'm telling you, it's fine! If there's no stalker, there's no need for you to be here, right?!"
"..."
Unusually, Hoshimiya raised her voice to me and expressed her emotions openly. Which makes me feel bit scared.
"We still don't know if there's a stalker or not."
"W-Well, the fact that they haven't shown up even once is proof, isn't it? Besides, I don't think I'm attractive enough to be stalked..."
"You're evaluation is getting on my nerves. Until I can be certain there's no stalker, I will stay in this house."
"...Why do you care about me so much?"
"Because I'm worried."
"...I see. But, um, what about Harukaze-san?"
"Haruno? Right now, Haruno has nothing to do with this, doesn't she?"
"The other day... you made up with her, right? So, I thought... maybe you two are dating..."
Hoshimiya's voice trailed off, but I managed to catch her words until the end.
...I see, that's what she means. Hoshimiya is concerned about me and Haruno.
"Just so you know, Haruno and I are not dating."
"...You're not? Even though you have mutual feelings?"
I haven't explained to Hoshimiya what I talked about with Haruno.
Yet, it seems like she knows that Haruno and I have mutual feelings.
"Uh... well, we're not dating..."
"Why not?"
Hoshimiya stared into my eyes as she asked, but I didn't know how to answer.
The reason why Haruno and I aren't dating.
That's because... because I, Kuromine Riku also likes Hoshimiya Ayana...
...I can't say something like that.
"For my sake?"
"Huh?"
"You're not dating Harukaze-san for my sake right...? That's why you're staying in this house?"
"Well, it's a little different."
"Then why? The person you like is Harukaze-san, right? So I think you shouldn't go to other girls..."
"I'm genuinely worried about you."
"...Could it be, Kuromine-kun... do you... l-l... like me?"
"Huh!?"
Hoshimiya asked with blush and shaky voice.
I opened my eyes wide, because of surprise. Her intuition was unexpected.
"If you like me, I think it's fine... but you like Harukaze-san, right?"
"W-Well... that's..."
"In that case, let me ask... who you like, Hoshimiya?"
"...It's none of your business!"
"It is! It's unfair if I'm the only one being asked all these questions! You should also tell me who you likes!"
"I-I don't get it! I still can't understand what you're saying, Kuromine-kun!"
"I'll ask again, though... Hoshimiya... you... do you like me?"
"What?! N-No way!"
Hoshimiya, who shouted loudly, shook her head in a flustered manner.
If Hoshimiya's crush is me, then I would be in a mutual affection situation with both beautiful girls.
"I'm actually dense, you know, really... Do you... like me?"
"W-What are you talking about, Kuromine-kun?! Your imagination is too wild!"
"But Hoshimiya, you're nice to me! You're especially kind compared to me than other guys!"
"That's a misunderstanding! Just because I'm nice to you, it doesn't mean anything... You're just a typical unpopular boy who misunderstands things!" (TL:Ouch!)
"――Guuhuuh!"
I felt like I had been hit with a loud and flashy bomb.
But, well, you know... like when she picked up my eraser or lent me her handkerchief, or when she greeted me... doesn't that imply some interest?
"Hoshimiya, do you not like me...?"
"...I don't like you. So please don't worry about me... go to Harukaze-san's place."
"...Hoshimiya, you save my life before and... well..."
"Even if that's the case, it might be a bit of a nuisance to have you sticking around."
"――Nuisance!"
"And besides, Kuromine-kun, you're sloppy... You say strange things that embarrass me, and you casually grab my underwear..."
The sins about me just keep coming!
Could it be that instead of Hoshimiya liking me, it's actually the opposite...
"A-Actually... I, I hate... hate you, Kuromine-kun!"
――What?!
Hate... She hates me.
I was shocked to the point of almost coughing up blood.
But still...
"It's okay if you hate me."
"...Huh?"
"It's okay if you hate me. I'm just worried about you."
"Kuromine-kun..."
"Even if you hate me, I want to protect you."
"――Ah."
Who she likes or dislikes doesn't matter. I'm just genuinely concerned about her well-being.
If her safety is guaranteed by me not being around, then I won't hesitate to do so.
"Kuromine-kun... for you to care about me so much... Ah!"
Hoshimiya, who seemed to be moved and teary-eyed, accidentally bumped her foot into the mini table. As a result, her smartphone, which was placed at the edge of the table, fell with force and bounced across the carpet, ending up going under the bed.
"Oh no, Let me take it back."
Hoshimiya gets down on the floor to search under the bed... Uh-oh! Under the bed is not a good place!
"Hoshimiya, wait! It's――"
"...Huh? Besides the smartphone, there's something else... a book?"
"Be careful, Hoshimiya! That's not a book, it's a cockroach!"
"Eek! ...Wait, that can't be, right? Is this your book, Kuromine-kun?"
Saying so, Hoshimiya drags out the smartphone and a book from under the bed.
And as she gazes at the cover of the book――her face quickly turns bright red!
"T-This... This is... an erotic book!"
"That's right! It's an erotic book!"
"And moreover, this girl... she looks just like me!"
"That's right! She looks just like you!"
"Why are you so confident about it?! Pervert!"
"Wait! Mondo-san forcely give that to me! It's not my fault!"
"Then you should have disposed of it or put it in Chisato-san's mailbox!"
"..."
"You're silent! Why did you hide it under my bed?"
"Hiding erotic books under beds... that's the usual thing to do, for guys...."
"That's absurd! Kuromine-kun, absurd! Hiding erotic books under a girl's bed!"
Hoshimiya becomes agitated, but it seems she's actually interested in the erotic book.
She sneakily glances at the cover.
To regain control of the situation, I clear my throat and explained it to her calmly.
"Um... Well, that's the situation. I'll continue to rely on you."
"And...?"
"And?"
――Get out!!"
....Expected. (TL: ……ですよねー。)
◆◆◆
Morning in classroom is noisy as always. There's not a single person like me who is dispirited.
In the corner of the classroom, a lone male student was prostrated on his desk, emitting a negative aura.
Yep, it's me.
"...This is tough."
Being told Hoshimiya hates me and even told me to leave, and she even found out the erotic books I hide.
Well, if there's really no stalkers, then logically, I don't need to live in that apartment as Hoshimiya said.
In other words, the reason I'm feeling down is simply due to my own feelings.
"So, it means I want to be with Hoshimiya..."
Muttering to myself somehow, I immediately felt someone's presence right next to me.
"Riku-chan, you seem down. What happened?"
"Haruno..."
I lifted my head and confirmed Haruno's face. She had her usual lovely and bright smile.
Ah, my heart filled with negativity is being healed...!
"Did something happen?"
"I was kicked out of Hoshimiya's house."
"What? You should apologize to Ayana-chan quickly!"
"Stop assuming it's my fault... Well, maybe it is my fault, but..."
I tell Haruno what happened with Hoshimiya on Saturday. Haruno nods as she listens attentively.
"Riku-chan, that's a pretty important matter."
"Yeah, it is. If the stalker wasn't a misunderstanding..."
"You still have those erotic books, right? Let me check."
"Is that what this is about? The erotic books don't matter."
"It's not good! It's still too early for you, Riku-chan! If you're really concerned about that, then I'll...!"
"No, it's fine."
Haruno's cheeks turn red, and she embarrassingly says something strange, so I respond calmly.
Honestly, I do want to do those things with Haruno. I sometimes think about it, but not right now.
"You have a face that shows no motivation at all."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Being told that she dislikes me might have affected me quite a lot.
When she said that, I responded with a cheesy line like, "Even if you hate me, I want to protect Hoshimiya," but in reality, it caused serious cringe to my heart.
I wonder what Hoshimiya is doing, I turn my face towards the center of the classroom.
They were still happily talking, just like usual.
They don't seem to care about me at all.
"Is she really hated me...?"
"Well, even if it's because of the stalker, if Ayana-chan says it's just her imagination, isn't that okay?"
"..."
"You don't need to work so hard just because you're disliked."
"But, Hoshimiya saved my life..."
"That lifesaver of yours saying you already did enough right?"
That was true. Any further persistence from me would just become a bother.
"Besides, I'm a little... angry."
"Huh?"
"I'm really grateful to Ayana-chan. She saved you, Riku-chan... But I can't accept what happened this time."
"..."
"I thought Ayana-chan liked you too. I wonder why did she said that..."
"It might be a lie. Maybe Hoshimiya said she hates me to keep her distance from me and from you..."
"Then, what's your plan?"
"...I don't know."
"Riku-chan, you've worked so hard even while getting hurt. I also ended up hurting you... So, I want to protect you in return."
" Haruno..."
"I don't want you to suffer anymore or get hurt, Riku-chan. I know that Ayana-chan is the reason you're here right now. But, you see, Ayana-chan is hurting you... I can't forgive that."
A faint trace of anger seeps into Haruno's expression. It means she genuinely cares about me.
"Haruno, I..."
"You don't have to struggle anymore. We've reached a conclusion."
"conclusion...?"
"My relationship with Ayana-chan is over. So... well, maybe... can we start over?"
"Start over?"
"Yeah. You and I, we've been childhood friends for a long time, right? Like back then... no, this time, as lovers... I want to be by your side, Riku-chan."
"..."
Though her words were a little shy, Haruno's desire came across clearly.
I inadvertently find myself at a loss for words.
As I contemplate what to say, the chime rings, signaling start of the class. So the noisy students starts returning to their seats.
Haruno is no exception, but she says one last thing to me before leaving.
"I know Riku-chan more than anyone else, and I love Riku-chan more than anyone else."
With a small voice that only I could hear, Haruno said and quickly returned to her seat.
"............"
Those were the words I had always wanted to hear. If she had said them when I confessed, my heart would have stopped from overwhelming joy.
"............I haven't really been trying hard, have I?"
Haruno said that I had been trying hard.
...That's not true.
I have always been supported by Haruno.
After being rejected by Haruno, I was supported by Hoshimiya.
In other words, I was just living the days being healed by Haruno and Hoshimiya.
I haven't been able to repay them for anything yet.
"But it's come to an end, huh... Maybe Haruno is right."
Originally, Hoshimiya and I would never have had any connection.
We wouldn't have had a chance to talk... even though we were in the same class.
"Just returning to the usual daily life..."
No, it's not the usual daily life. It's a life where I can be with Haruno, the ideal person I've always wanted to be with.
◆◆◆
During lunch break, I spend time as usual with Kana. Though there's something lingering in my heart, I pretend to be calm and engage in casual conversation. However, as I do so, I catch sight of Kuromine-kun and Harukaze-san leaving the classroom together. The piece of bread I was about to put in my mouth stops halfway.
"Ayane, is it okay? Your boyfriend went with another girl."
"It's not like... we're dating or anything."
"What? It hasn't even been a month right? And don't you like Kuromine?"
"It's not like...!"
Something wells up from deep within my chest, and I desperately take a big bite of the bread, stuffing it into my mouth. It's like I'm eating out of desperation.
"But, Ayane..."
"This is fine...!"
I felt like crying.
◆◆◆
After school. Normally, Hoshimiya would invite me with a "Let's go home," but...
"Kana, let's go."
"What about Kuromine?"
"It's fine now."
Kana who is confused, Hoshimiya take her arm with her and left the classroom quickly.
It seems like our connection has truly been severed. Is this Hoshimiya desire?.
"Riku-chan, let's go home together."
"Haruno..."
Haruno, with a natural smile, kindly invites me.
Come to think of it, this is my "normal".
Before I confessed to Haruno, it was a daily activity of her to invite me to walk home together like this.
In other words, my daily life has simply returned.
"...?"
I feel someone's gaze and scan the classroom. Several male students were looking at me.
"That bastard Kuromine, he switched from Harukaze to Hoshimiya, and now he's back again to Harukaze!"
"To the two most popular girls in the school...!!"
...This is bad. I can't offer any explanation, and I even think it's bad myself.
I take Haruno's hand and hurriedly leave the school, as if running away.
And as we go home something happen.
"It's been a while since we walked home together, Riku-chan."
"...Yeah."
Haruno, walking beside me, said in a cheerful voice that sounded full of energy.
Even from her smiling expression, I could sense her innocent feeling of "I'm happy!"
"You know, Riku-chan... I want to hold hands with you."
"We're still not officially dating, though?"
"Then... let's hold hands as childhood friends! Like we used to when we were little!"
"We're high school students now, you know? If we hold hands in a place like this, we'll stand out."
I do want to hold hands with Haruno, but we're walking on the school commute route.
There are some students around who are on their way home. Especially since Haruno is cute, she stands out a lot.
"I don't mind standing out."
"...Haruno, hey. Are you aware that you're popular?"
"I am."
"Yeah, I guess you are... Wait, what?!"
I inadvertently stop walking and gaze at Haruno's face.
Haruno also stops and wears a slightly guilty expression.
"W-Well... you see... I've been confessed to several times..."
"Ah, um... How many times?"
"If we're talking about since entering high school... maybe around ten times, I guess."
"What a realistically high number...!"
Well, if she received that many confessions, of course she'll think "I'm popular".
And Haruno said, "If we're talking about since entering high school..." If we include middle school, it seems like an astonishing number.
BTW, as you guess, I have never been confessed to even once before.
I'll proudly boast it as grand total of 0 confessions...!!
"You've never dated anyone, huh..."
"Yeah. I didn't really understand romantic feelings, so I turned them down. My friends suggested that I try dating someone just to see... but I couldn't bring myself to do it."
"I see..."
"Of course. Because I like you, Riku-chan. I didn't realize it was my first love inside me, but my feelings for you haven't changed."
Haruno said that with a clear and refreshed expression. It made my heart skip a beat.
"You must have received a lot of confessions too, Riku-chan."
"Ah, um... Yeah, well... I don't really remember how many times, to be honest."
Not remembering is natural. After all, I've never been confessed to.
"But still. Despite that, you didn't date anyone and confessed to me. I'm really happy about that."
"..."
Seeing Haruno with a genuinely happy expression and a slight smile, I feel a sense of guilt. My heart aches.
Why do guys have to be showy? Lately, it feels like I've been telling nothing but lies.
"Riku-chan, um... I'll be waiting, so..."
Blushing, Haruno lowers her head in embarrassment.
There's an atmosphere as if she's expecting something sweet and sour.
I can sense it intuitively. She's waiting for a confession.
Haruno said she's waiting for my answer.
If I confess to Haruno, I can finally grasp the life I've been dreaming of.
The goal is after the bridge. It's a distance I can immediately reach.
Following my feelings, I open my mouth.
"Just a little longer, please wait."
"O-Okay... I understand."
Huh?
I was supposed to say, "I love you, please go out with me"... right?
Ah, I see. There's something unfinished.
Perhaps my unfinished job with Hoshimiya is stopping me.
I'll quickly resolve this tonight.
◆◆◆
I know that Hoshimiya is not at the convenience store tonight. While we we're living together, I memorize Hoshimiya's shift.
"Oh welcome Riku-chan. Ayana-chan isn't here."
I had some business with the owner, so I came to the convenience store after 10 p.m. After confirming that there were no customers inside, I approached the owner who was at the cash register.
"I came today not for Hoshimiya, but because I have something to discuss with the owner."
"Oh no, Riku-chan. While I am indeed beautiful, but flirtation is not good."
"............"
"............"
................
"Previously, you proposed that I, should work here, right? I apologize, but I have to decline."
"Oh dear, how unfortunate. But I'm glad you told me."
This was my unfinished business. The owner might have said it without much thought, but I wanted to give a formal response.
"Hey, Riku-chan, don't you want to work with Ayana-chan?" The owner asked.
"......Maybe Hoshimiya doesn't want to work with me."
"I see..."
The owner seemed to have sensed that something was going on between me and Hoshimiya, so she didn't pursue it any further.
However, she starts talking about Hoshimiya quietly, which is rare for her.
"During the weekend the other day... Ayana-chan had a really lonely expression on her face."
"A lonely expression, you say?"
"Yes. Sometimes she would look lonely, and other times she would look like she's about to cry... Oh, yes, to the point where customers were worried about her."
"............"
"That was the face of someone filled with regret. Regret that will haunt them for the rest of their life."
"I see..."
"I don't know what happened between the two of you... Riku-chan, make sure you have no regrets."
◆◆◆
"Oh, it's Riku-kun. It's rare to meet you in a place like this."
After listening to the owner, Intending to go home, I saw Mado-san walking towards me, so I stopped my bike and faced her.
"Mondo-san... Is it okay for you to be out so late?"
"It's not something for a minor like you should be saying. I'm on my way back from a drinking party. Riku-kun, do you not need to go back to Ayana-chan's house?"
"Well..."
"There must be something happen after all."
"............"
She immediately seen me through.
"Is your house close from here?"
"Yes, it's about a three-hour distance."
"It's not close at all. It's late at night when you'll reach home. If you want, would you like to stay at my place?"
"I'll decline. I think I can find something to eat somewhere."
"No, no, I won't make a move on a minor. But... Are you really okay?"
"Yes. Bye then..."
I mounted my bicycle again and started riding.
And before I left Mondo-san alone, "I went to Ayana-chan's house on Saturday afternoon."
"────"
I abruptly hit the brakes and stopped the bicycle and inadvertently listen to Mondo-san's words.
"The moment I pressed the intercom, Ayana-chan opened the door with incredible force and had such a happy expression. But as soon as she saw my face, she looked disappointed, as if I was a letdown."
"...What does that mean?"
"I think Ayana-chan was expecting someone to come."
"............"
"I don't know who's that someone is though. So, young delinquent, go back home already. The people who cares about you will be sad if something happens to you."
Mondo-san said her words with a serious tone and walked away, turning her back to me.
What's with that? She's acting mature all of the sudden.
I watched Mondo-san's back until she's gone with darkness and I could do nothing but to stand there.
Chapter 3 End
Open for Correction. I uploaded this on NU in June 30 morning but for some reason, it's not updating. I did it again in second time at 2:00P.M. but still nothing. Chapter 4 will start next week. Kofi 👇
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