After Distancing Myself From the Childhood Friend Couple Who Looked Down on Me, I Started Interacting With a Small Animal-Like Beautiful Girl - Chapter 22

“No, seriously, I’m really, really sorry.”

Yokokawa was looking pale-faced as he bowed deeply.

“That’s enough already. It was something that couldn’t be helped.”

“You weren’t really talking much in class either… It was something I could have figured out if I thought about it a bit…”

“That’s why it’s fine already…”

Next to me, Yokokawa slumped over, enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere. His carefully styled perm seems to droop and wilt to match his mood.

I somehow managed to get him to sit on the stairs while he remained kneeling down on the ground, and no matter how many times I told him I wasn’t angry, he stayed like that the whole time.

I was suddenly called out by a classmate who looked like a playboy, someone I had never even talked to before, and then he started berating me, which was both surprising and bewildering. But I don’t feel any anger.

I think there must have been an event that made him lose his composure that much.

“Hey. Earlier, when you said it was okay to scold Daiki, can I ask what you meant by that?”

To help Yokokawa get out of his deep slump, I also voice the things that have been on my mind. His shoulders slightly jerked, and his downcast face slowly lifted.

“…The lunch break is almost over, so can I have some time after school? Maybe it will take a while because I might not be able to explain it well.”

When I checked my phone, there were only five minutes left until the next period.

When I replied with “Of course,” Yokokawa gave a slight smile and said, “Thank you.”

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The promise after school.

After confirming that Daiki had left the classroom with Higashi and his female friends, Yokokawa sat in the seat in front of me.

“There are still people here, but is it okay to stay?”

There are still a few people remaining in the classroom.

Judging by his expression, it was considerate of him to avoid discussing something difficult to talk about in front of others.

Yokokawa gives a small smile and waves.

“Ah, it’s all good, it’s all good. Thank you for caring.”

“Well, that’s fine then…”

“Yoshizaki is such a weird guy. Are you really Ootomo’s childhood friend?”

Saying it in a teasing manner, Yokokawa began to speak.

“I have a girlfriend in the class next to mine. We started dating in March this year.”

Yokokawa’s expression softens.

I wonder if he’s remembering the time when they first started dating.

But that face immediately shows a shadow.

“…I thought things were going well. Recently, she’s been acting kind of distant, like she doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore.”

Yokokawa’s tone of voice is gradually dropping.

It looked like he was in pain, but I thought it would be rude to interrupt, so I listened intently.

“I knew she had male friends. Having close friends is also something I knew. She had friends of both genders for a long time, so I thought that if I pried into it, I would be unfit as a boyfriend, so I tried not to worry about it too much… But then, when she started turning down my date invitations one after another, I thought, ‘This is really strange.'”

Yokokawa clenches his fist tightly.

“Yesterday too, she turned me down because she was going home with her female friends, but she stayed in the classroom. I asked those girls if she went home with someone, and then…”

“Was that Daiki?”

I finally opened my mouth and connected the words that Yokokawa had been at a loss for.

Yokokawa grimaced and nodded.

“…I was told by those people that they thought we had broken up. Lately, it seems like she’s been spending a lot of time with Ootomo.”

Haha, Yokokawa lets out a weak laugh.

That voice was trembling, and his eyes were glistening.

“Before I said anything to her, I told Ootomo. I told him to not get too close to someone else’s girlfriend. Even so, that guy Ootomo… he says things like, ‘What’s wrong with being friendly since we’re friends?’ and ‘Being overly possessive isn’t good either,’ and it just makes me so mad…!”

Tears fell from Yokokawa’s eyes.

Seeing him biting his lip, with frustration and helplessness evident, made it painful for me to watch as well.

Without considering how strongly he feels about his partner, my childhood friend acts however he pleases. He even neglects his own girlfriend.

“I didn’t want to doubt her. But maybe, just maybe, she has already crossed a line with Ootomo, and I couldn’t help but feel anxious about it, so…”

I am stabbed in the chest by Yokokawa, who wipes his tears with the sleeve of his thin gray hoodie.

Holding both hands on my knees, I said.

“… I’m sorry, Yokokawa. Even though I’m his childhood friend, I couldn’t even notice anything was wrong with him.”

Even though I felt increasingly apologetic as if I were making excuses, my mouth moved naturally.

“We used to get along normally, but suddenly his attitude changed. Since Serika started mocking me too, I just don’t understand the two of them anymore. Even though we were supposed to be childhood friends, you know?”

“Yoshizaki…”

“If Daiki is doing something that hurts others, I also want him to stop. Even if I don’t understand him anymore, I can tell that he’s trying to do something wrong as a person.”

What I said to Yokokawa was also my own vow.

Before anything happens between Yokokawa and his girlfriend, to prevent him from hurting anyone else, I should make him keep his distance. And then… this will be the last time I get involved with Daiki as his childhood friend.

“I will ask Daiki myself. It would be better to check if Yokokawa hasn’t done anything with your girlfriend yet.”

“Eh… But, it’s not fair. It’s completely our circumstances, and Yoshizaki didn’t know anything until now… In the first place, I did that kind of thing to you.”

It seems he was still worried about what he said.

I smiled at Yokokawa.

“Because it’s something I want to do. Besides, doesn’t Yokokawa want to talk to her soon?”

I have never been in a relationship, so I don’t know, but there must be some reason on her part for wanting to distance herself from Yokokawa. It might just be a momentary hesitation. Even so, Yokokawa probably wouldn’t be happy about it.

Yokokawa must also have something he wants to hear from her mouth as soon as possible, if possible. With the sole intention of not wanting to doubt her, he has been enduring it all this time.

“–––, Yoshizaki~…!!”

Tears like a waterfall suddenly streamed from his eyes, and Yokokawa’s sweet face crumbled into a mess.

At the same time, the image of him as a playboy with a consistently cheerful demeanor, which also had an air of suspicion, began to crumble in my mind.

When I had done something wrong, I would properly apologize, and I felt embarrassed for having arbitrarily judged the inner qualities of a wonderful person who could deeply care for others. Even Saitou-san wasn’t the person everyone thought she was.

“Thank you… I’m really sorry about earlier…!”

“That’s why I have already said I’m done with the lunch thing.”

“Because, you see…, to someone who goes this far…!”

“I wanted to do that too… but if you keep repeating what you just said, it’s really going to get annoying, so please stop!?”

“Got it…”

Sniffling and rummaging through his pockets, Yokokawa said, “Not here…” As he continues to search his pockets, I offer him a tissue.

After thanking me, Yokokawa took the tissue, and a loud sound of blowing his nose echoed.

“Sniff… Can I call you Yuki?

“You’ve cut through the flow too much.”

This lightheartedness, is he really a playboy after all?

Although it was sudden, I didn’t mind being called in a casual way.

“Is it not allowed?”

“No. You can call me whatever you like.”

“Yes! Then feel free to call me whatever you like! Shirou or Shirou-chan!”

“Isn’t it starting to sound like a pet’s name…?”

Looking at it this way, Yokokawa is like a dog. At first, he’s a bit wary, but once he warms up, he opens his heart all at once, like a dog.

I feel like Yokokawa has dog ears and a tail. The way he’s eagerly waiting to see what I will call him is just like a dog waiting for its owner to pay attention to it.

“Well then, um… Shirou.”

“Yeah, yeah! Ah, then let’s exchange contact information next!”

Just as Yokokawa nodded in satisfaction, he quickly took out his smartphone.

Seeing that he didn’t seem as troubled as before, I let out a sigh of relief and picked up the smartphone from the desk.

After exchanging contact information with Yokokawa, I opened the chat screen with a certain account while keeping LINE open. The profile picture, showing a silhouette-like side view against the backlight, belonged to Daiki’s account, which was currently blocked.

After tapping the menu button in the upper right corner, I stare at the displayed “Unblock” for a few seconds.

I gently pressed the tip of my index finger there.