Vol. 1 Chapter 34 – My Childhood Friend

“…What? Were you two dating?” (Yamada)

Homeroom ended, and as the classmates were preparing to leave, Souma called out to me.

“…We’re not dating.” (Yuuto)

“The information that reached my ears was that you two were flirting in the school cafeteria during the day, though?” (Yamada)

“I heard that too.” (Aida)

Aida, who had smoothly joined the conversation, said while organizing the contents of her school bag.

“The people in the hallway were talking about it loudly. They were saying you were dating, too.” (Aida)

Aida, who had propped her legs out into the aisle so that Souma and I were in her line of sight, had her gaze fixed somewhere around the ceiling as if trying to recall.

“So? You’re not actually dating, right?” (Yamada)

After hearing Aida’s words, Souma asked, looking at me with eyes that were half-doubting, half-exasperated. Of course, I nodded in affirmation to that question.

“Thought so.” (Yamada)

Souma, who nodded as if he knew it all along, put his hand on his chin, feigning thought.

“For now, there’s no doubt Yuuto will be the one livening up the school until summer vacation. Though I don’t know why Minase-san did something like that.” (Yamada)

Souma looked pleased for some reason.

“Minase-san’s rampage… or rather, I think it’s like an extension of her playful teasing. When the three of us were together, Minase-san would tease Aoi-kun and do similar things.” (Aida)

And then, Souma, who was addressed by Aida as she lifted her school bag and prepared to leave, switched to an interested expression.

“Is that so?” (Yamada)

“Well… there are parts like that… I guess.” (Yuuto)

When I answered, recalling Nagisa’s teasing expression and her actions when she wore it, Souma’s expression became even more amused.

“Well! Anyway, hang in there until summer vacation, Yuuto!” (Yamada)

I sighed as I took the school bag Souma held out to me with a smile.

After leaving the shoe lockers with Souma and Aida and walking a little, Akari wasn’t at the usual place where we met after school.

I couldn’t make the two, who had train times to catch, wait, so after seeing them off, I stepped into the shade of a tree and pulled out my smartphone.

{Waiting at the usual spot.}

When I sent that message to Akari, it was marked as read immediately.

{Sorry! Go on home without me!}

Seeing the words sent along with a stamp of a rabbit doing a dogeza, I started walking.

{Roger.}

{Something come up?}

The messages I sent in quick succession were not marked as read, so I stopped waiting for a reply and put my phone in my pocket.

As I continued walking in a direction different from the crowd flowing towards the station, the number of people visibly decreased.

…It’s pretty rare for me to walk home alone. I thought, vaguely watching the scenery of the town flow by.

After walking for a few minutes, there were no more students in sight, and with it being a weekday, all I could see were cars on the road or elderly people walking their dogs.

In such a scene, there was one student walking ahead. I knew immediately who it was just by looking at their back.

“Why are you always walking in front of me?” (Yuuto)

I quickened my pace slightly and called out when I was right behind her.

“…Hey, you know, try being in my shoes, being followed all the time.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa hugged herself, taking a defensive posture, and sent a wary gaze my way.

“Anyway, where’s Akari? I thought she’d be with you guys…” (Yuuto)

I ignored her gaze and changed the subject. Nagisa didn’t seem to mind particularly and switched to a thoughtful expression.

“Hmm… Either she’s discussing something related to dance lessons, or something’s up with a friend we don’t know about? In any case, I don’t know anything.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa spoke, waving her hands in the air as if to show she knew nothing.

“Akari has it tough too, huh…” (Yuuto)

I walked along the school route, remembering my childhood friend who was often approached by people even in the school cafeteria. The conversation stopped for a moment, and silence fell, but I didn’t find it particularly awkward.

“…Are you doing that on purpose?” (Nagisa)

Nagisa, who had opened her mouth, was looking at me with suspicious eyes, her face slightly flushed.

“…What?” (Yuuto)

Not understanding at all, I tilted my head and asked back.

“That… you keep touching your cheek…” (Nagisa)

Being told that, I stopped the hand I had been about to raise to stroke my right cheek mid-air.

“…Sorry, it was unconscious…” (Yuuto)

When I replied, surprised by my own action that I had only just noticed, Nagisa sighed.

“That was because I was in a weird mood… Don’t worry about it. Idiot.” (Nagisa)

“…Is this my fault?” (Yuuto)

In the first place, being told by a girl my age not to worry about being kissed, even if it was on the cheek, was a difficult ask.

“My bad. It’s Yuuto’s fault I’m sleep-deprived, and because of that, I thought something weird like, ‘the cheek should be fine’… It’s Yuuto’s fault.” (Nagisa)

“Well, then it’s me, huh.” (Yuuto)

“Yep. Yuuto.” (Nagisa)

There was no point in denying it here, so I accepted it meekly. I felt like Nagisa also knew I wouldn’t say anything because I couldn’t be bothered.

…What Aida said about Nagisa’s rampage wasn’t wrong, then.

“…What’s wrong?” (Yuuto)

After returning home with Nagisa, the afternoon passed without any particular incident, and it was now nighttime.

The doorbell rang around 8 PM, and when I reacted and opened the door, Akari was there.

“I was thinking of just dropping by… Is that okay?” (Akari)

“Yeah… sure, but.” (Yuuto)

I invited Akari in, wondering why she had rung the doorbell, which she usually didn’t. …Though, ringing the doorbell is perfectly normal, of course.

Akari, upon entering my room, didn’t sit on the usual sofa but on the bed. It wasn’t like our relationship was one where I’d refuse that, so I didn’t mind and sat on the bed too.

“…” (Akari)

I felt a sense of unease from Akari, who sat on the bed and looked around the room instead of reading manga or watching TV.

“…What’s wrong? Something’s off about you. Your face is red too.” (Yuuto)

“My face is red because I just took a bath… and the something’s off part is…” (Akari)

Her words cut off there, and Akari, turning to face me, collided headfirst into my chest, causing me to be pushed down onto the bed.

“…Well, yeah, if the childhood friend you’ve been with since you were little kisses a friend right in front of you… you’d act weird too.” (Akari)

Being told that, I understood why Akari had been acting strangely, and at the same time, an image of Akari and Souma kissing naturally floated into my mind.

…Yeah, that would definitely be unpleasant.

“Sorry… Nagisa also regretted that, saying she was in a weird mood… So, please stop being awkward because of me.” (Yuuto)

As I said that, placing my hand on Akari’s head, which was on my chest, Akari buried her face further into my chest.

“If… If Yuuto gets a girlfriend, can I still be your childhood friend?” (Akari)

“…Nagisa and I aren’t like that, you know.” (Yuuto)

I pre-emptively crushed the misunderstanding Akari might have, who asked with a slightly muffled voice.

“Even if it’s not Nagisa… will we still be childhood friends?” (Akari)

I didn’t know what she was thinking when she said that. All I knew was that Akari’s voice was trembling slightly.

“The relationship of childhood friends can’t be changed even if you want to, right?” (Yuuto)

I murmured, moving the hand I had placed on Akari’s head. Hearing that, Akari started to fidget, then rested her face on my left shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Don’t change too much, okay?” (Akari)

I felt a slight ticklish sensation as Akari whispered that in my ear.

“People don’t change that easily, you know.” (Yuuto)

When I replied, she responded with a slight laugh in her voice, “Maybe so.”

“…” (Yuuto) “…” (Akari)

There was no conversation after that, and only the sound of the clock’s second hand moving echoed in the room as we held each other.

“…By the way, what do you think? I changed my shampoo.” (Akari)

The gentle, lavender-like scent that had been tickling my nostrils since earlier. Because of what happened before, I had tried not to pay attention to it, but Akari’s words made my sense of smell focus.

“…It smells nice.” (Yuuto)

What words could I choose that wouldn’t sound creepy? I felt like any words would be impossible.

“Is it a scent Yuuto likes?” (Akari)

“…My preference doesn’t really matter, does it?” (Yuuto)

I felt my body temperature rise as my childhood friend pressed her attack by my ear.

“Do you like it?” (Akari)

Even if I tried to be vague and escape, it seemed Akari wouldn’t let me.

“…I like it.” (Yuuto)

Even though I just said it was a scent I liked, I somehow felt embarrassed.

“Yuuto’s scent fetish hasn’t changed, huh?” (Akari)

I mentally raised a white flag to my childhood friend, who whispered happily in my ear…

Compared to when I later had to carry Akari, who had fallen asleep while clinging to me, princess-style to her bed at her house, the embarrassment at this moment was still manageable.