A Hard-Boiled (Self-Proclaimed) Guy Like Me Doesn’t Suit a Romcom-Style Youth

Chapter 4: Childhood Friend

“Long time no see.”

Resigning myself to the situation, I turned to face Mirai-chan properly. As if reverting to the shy and quiet child I used to be, I lost my words and could only manage to say that much.

Immediately, a sunflower-like smile bloomed on her face. A large-blossomed smile that even evoked the cheerfulness of a summer day. The smile I used to love.

“Oh! It is Ayata! Long time no see! Why are you here?”

“I just arrived here a little while ago. So I thought I’d stop by to say hello.”

“Is that so! I heard you were coming back, but you never showed up at my house or at school, and when I asked Dad, he just said not to worry. What were you doing over there?”

“I’ll tell you all about it eventually.”

The displeased atmosphere from just moments ago vanished completely. As if five years of time had been rewound, Mirai-chan spoke to me.

I was happy about that, but I suppressed my urge to get carried away as I answered.

I once held faint feelings for her. But that is in the past.

I am no longer the me from back then, who was led by the hand by Mirai-chan. No matter how comfortable it is, I can’t go back to those days. I must not go back.

“I heard from Sensei that you were here, Mirai-chan. I have a lot of luggage, so if possible, I wanted Yousuke-san to come pick me up, and then… it seems like I’ve interrupted something, sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I was losing anyway. Wait a sec, I’ll call Dad right away!”

Saying that, Mirai-chan took out her smartphone from her blazer pocket and started making a call.

Left behind, my eyes met the other girl’s. She smiled faintly.

Unintentionally captivated, I couldn’t open my mouth, so she spoke first.

“I am Masaki Nadeshiko. Since I am in the same class, I look forward to getting along with you, Asou-kun.”

Masaki Nadeshiko-san. To think her name is actually Nadeshiko; it’s like a miracle that the name represents the person.

Even the gesture of bowing politely is beautiful. Despite having been grappling just moments ago, there is not a single sign of disarray in her raven-black hair. Also, she seems to be the type who looks much slimmer in clothes. When she was doing sumo, I could confirm quite impressive things through her blouse, but now that she’s wearing a blazer, her purity stands out more than her figure.

Naturally, she hadn’t had time to put on socks and indoor shoes, so her beautiful white bare feet were exposed.

However, I wonder why?

For a moment, I felt like I recognized that name.

But would I forget such a rare name like Nadeshiko for such a beautiful girl?

“H-Hello. I’m Asou Ayataka. I’m childhood friends with Mirai-chan.”

“Yes, I know.”

She knows? Did she hear it from Mirai?

I felt a strange sense of incongruity.

Come to think of it, she called me “Asou-kun” before I introduced myself.

Did she know me? If we’re in the same class, it would be understandable to figure out that I’m Asou Ayataka from the context. Now that I think about it, she looked surprised when she saw my face. Normally, one would be wary of a strange boy or show an anxious face.

Could it be that she realized who I was even before Mirai did? But I have no recollection of her.

A frustrating feeling welled up. However, with the return of my childhood friend who was on the phone, I was forced to interrupt my thoughts.

“Dad says he’s coming right away!”

“Sorry to trouble Yousuke-san when he’s probably busy.”

Mirai-chan’s family owns a long-established hot spring inn known even locally. Her father, Yousuke-san, manages multiple other hotels and inns, so actually, Mirai-chan is quite the young lady despite appearances.

Prefectural Toto High School has a slightly high deviation score, but not enough to be called prestigious, and while club activities are active, it’s not known as a powerhouse. It’s a typical local prep school. That’s why I was surprised to hear from Kuki-sensei that I was classmates with Mirai-chan. I had assumed she went on to a private school.

“It’s fine. Dad’s just playing Shogi with the neighborhood association folks at this time anyway.”

“Seems like he hasn’t changed.”

While dedicating himself to saving the hot spring town suffering from depopulation out of strong local love, before anyone knew it, he had become a shrewd manager. That is Yousuke-san.

Mirai-chan has firmly inherited that temperament. She’s pushy, but caring, and the old me was attracted to her for pulling my shy self along. You could say I was dependent on her.

“Even so, Ayata, you’ve grown so much! Your face was so pale, but now you’re tanned and look tough! Nako-Nako! That frail Ayata has evolved and returned!”

“That seems to be the case. Calm down, Mi-chan. You’re troubling Asou-kun too, you know?”

Even Masaki-san would be troubled being dragged into a topic about me when we’ve just met.

“Ayata, you’ve gotten taller, huh. How tall are you now?”

“5 feet and 8 inches.”

“Like I’d know that! Say it in centimeters.”

“Um, about 172 centimeters, I think.”

“Muu. Exceeding 170 centimeters… cheeky for Ayata!”

Mirai-chan made a dissatisfied face at the height difference she couldn’t reach even by standing on tiptoes. Because I was overseas, I might look small, but Mirai-chan’s height is average for a Japanese person.

“Nice. I want 160 centimeters too. We used to be about the same size! You—!”

Trying to compare heights, Mirai-chan jumped up and down pyon pyon. The fruits of happiness also bounced poyon poyon. Her pushy attitude and the size of the fruits were sufficiently Western-sized.

“How many centimeters are you now, Mirai-chan?”

Needless to say, I mean her height. Needless to say.

“157 centimeters. We’re high schoolers now, so stop adding ‘-chan’. Mirai is fine.”

“But Masaki-san calls you Mi-chan.”

“Nako is different.”

Nadeshiko, so Nako. That’s a cute way to call her.

“Got it, Mirai. Is this okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Because I was overseas, I have no resistance to calling people by their first names without honorifics. But it seems that wasn’t the case for Mirai.

“Mirai?”

When I called her, Mirai looked away as if embarrassed.

“I-It’s nothing. Don’t call me that so many times, Ayata!”

Despite saying it herself, she’s embarrassed being called by her name?

Because she has cute sides like this, the old me fell in love with her.

“Nako, don’t laugh either!”

“S-Sorry. But Mi-chan being embarrassed is just so cute.”

During this exchange, Masaki-san had been looking sideways the whole time. Apparently, she was stifling her laughter.

As expected of a Yamato Nadeshiko. She doesn’t laugh with her mouth wide open in front of people.

“Sasu-Nako.”

“What’s that?”

“Short for ‘As expected of a Yamato Nadeshiko’ (Sasuga wa Yamato Nadeshiko).”

“Idiot.”

I got chopped. She’s quick with her hands as always, but unlike in the old days, it didn’t hurt at all. It was just very ticklish.

“Don’t call Nako a Yamato Nadeshiko so much. She seems numb to it now because she’s told it too much, but she used to really mind it. The real Nako is manlier than any guy around here. From my perspective, knowing her true nature, ‘Yamato Nadeshiko’ is seriously hilarious. More like ‘Japanese Son’ (Nippon Danji).”

“Mi-chan? Are you picking a fight by any chance? Fine by me? I’ll buy it?”

I want to believe it was just my imagination that for an instant, the face Masaki-san directed at Mirai, who said one word too many, looked like a puma targeting a guanaco.

“I said I’m sorry. But, you know.”

Mirai whispered something into Masaki-san’s ear.

“I think Ayata hasn’t realized who Nako is.”

“Ah, I thought that too.”

Suddenly, Masaki-san sent me a suggestive glance, making my heart skip a beat.

Are side-glances from beautiful girls this destructive?

“W-What is it?”

“Well, you see. Ayata changed too, but I remembered that it wasn’t as much as Nako.”

What does that mean?

Have I really met Masaki-san in the past?

“Asou-kun. Could you lend me your ear for a moment?”

While I was wondering, Masaki-san brought her face close. She smelled good, and I was desperate not to show my nervousness.