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Childhood Friend Wants Haruto and Kaho to Get Together
The next day, Mikoto-san was still recovering from her cold, but she seemed to be feeling much better.
Mikoto-san still couldn’t go to school, so I asked her if she wanted me to take the day off too. She shook her head.
“I think I’ll be fine today.”
She smiled at me.
She was not bluffing, she was really fine.
I couldn’t miss two days of school in a row.
That’s why I went to school, and now that the last class is over, I’m about to go home.
I was worried about Mikoto-san, and I was going to go straight home.
Kaho has not spoken to me even once today.
When I glanced at her, she looked frightened and blatantly looked away.
She’s completely avoiding me, I think.
That can’t be helped, considering what happened yesterday.
I sighed as I sat down in my chair.
At that moment, I was poked on the back.
I turned around and there was Yuki.
She was a petite, quiet-looking girl with red under-rimmed glasses.
Her name is Yukino Sakurai. Her nickname is Yuki. She is Kaho’s best friend.
“It is rare for Yuki to come to our class. What’s wrong?”
“It’s not what’s wrong… You know that, don’t you?”
Yuki lowered her voice and put her mouth close to my ear.
It tickled a little.
Something about this is not good to be overheard, probably something to do with Kaho.
“Aki-kun. Do you have time now?”
“Just for a little, that’s all right.”
Yuki nodded and pulled my arm.
I was a little surprised.
It was unusual for the quiet Yuki to do something so forceful.
I had no choice but to get up and follow Yuki.
We left the classroom, turned the corner of the hallway, and entered the Biology Preparation Room.
It was a dimly lit, long, narrow room, and no one would come in here.
Yuki slammed the door shut and looked back at me.
The hem of her skirt swayed softly.
Then, Yuki strode up to me, and stuck her index finger on my chest.
“Yu-Yuki? What’s wrong?”
“You’re playing dumb with me? You hurt Kaho.”
“Did Kaho say something?”
“Kaho has been … listless since this morning. She seemed really depressed. I asked her why, and she said, ‘Yesterday, I went to Haruto’s apartment.’ and she almost said … something, and then she shut down.”
“Did she say anything else?”
“She didn’t say anything about it…”
Yuki shook her head a little sadly.
From Yuki’s point of view, I’m sure she would want her best friend Kaho to confide everything to her.
But even Kaho wouldn’t go around telling everyone that Mikoto-san was at my apartment.
The short Yuki looked up at me.
“Aki-kun, what did you do to Kaho?”
“What?”
“It’s … that, forcibly, sexually or something.”
Yuki blushed and said so.
When Kaho came to my apartment, I pushed her down or something, and did something wrong, which made her feel depressed.
That’s how Yuki misunderstands it, apparently.
I don’t trust her either, I think.
“I didn’t do that.”
“But… looking at Kaho’s attitude, there’s no doubt that something happened at Aki-kun’s home yesterday.”
“Yes. But I can’t talk to Yuki about it.”
Yuki looked a little hurt.
“You can’t tell me, your friend?”
“Sorry.”
“I’m helping you get along with Kaho, too.”
“That’s the thing, though.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because of me, I thought I might be hurting Kaho.”
“I knew it, Aki-kun, what did you do to hurt Kaho yesterday?”
“I didn’t do anything that you might be imagining. If you think I’m the kind of guy who would attack Kaho, then you should be more alert to this situation.”
“Eh?”
Yuki said and looked around.
The two of us are alone in a small, dark room.
No one else is coming. The door was closed.
If I wanted to do something to Yuki, there was nothing she could do, being small and helpless.
Yuki’s face turned even redder.
“B-but, Aki likes Kaho, so you can’t try to do anything to me…”
“Yuki may think so because I’m serious, but any boy in high school would attack any cute girl.”
“Aki, do you think … I’m cute?”
“? Well, yeah.”
I think Yuki is quite cute, even though she is simple.
In fact, my friends envied me for being able to talk to Yuki so casually, saying, “Sakurai-san is so nice, isn’t she?”
Though not as good as Kaho or Mikoto.
It might be rude to compare them like that. If the girls knew my inner thoughts, they would be furious.
I shooed away my evil thoughts.
Yuki murmured, “Hmmm.” and looked at me.
Then, with a look of surprise on her face, she hurriedly continued.
“Anyway, you have to make up with Kaho…, or else, you know? I won’t forgive you even if Aki-kun says that he’s done nothing.”
“Why do you want me and Kaho to make up so badly, Yuki?”
“Aki-kun likes Kaho, and I am sure that Kaho really likes Aki-kun, too. She just can’t be honest about it.”
I didn’t think so.
Yuki is Kaho’s best friend, but I don’t think she understands Kaho’s true feelings.
I don’t say that out loud, but…
“I like Kaho with … Aki-kun. I like Kaho when she is with Aki and calls him ‘Haruto’ in a sweet voice. And Kaho looks so happy when Aki is being kind to her. I want to watch her like that.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind just watching her?”
When I asked that, Yuki’s eyes widened a little.
Then, she nodded vigorously.
“Yeah. Just watching her makes me happy.”
Yuki said this as if telling herself.
But is it true?
Yuki sounded forced, as if she was hiding her true feelings.