After Distancing Myself From the Childhood Friend Couple Who Looked Down on Me, I Started Interacting With a Small Animal-Like Beautiful Girl - Chapter 25

[Daiki’s Side]

“Hmm-hmm-hmm…♪”

I soak in the bathtub while humming a tune.

I felt absolutely fantastic.

After stepping up from being friends with Takagi… Yuika at karaoke, I noticed a message on my phone. Not only the group chat, but also from Yukito, who had even blocked me and Serika, and at first, I thought, “What now?” Even though he was the one who cut me off, now he wants to talk?

Even though I ignored him, he contacted me multiple times through messages and calls. Thinking it would be quicker to just get it over with, I reluctantly went out, and he asked about the recent situation with the group, me, and Serika.

What, so he’s now lonely after all?

Even though I was fortunate enough to have a chance to interact with the most beautiful girl in the school, he must have missed the times spent with the group he had been with for a long time and with me and Serika, his childhood friends. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be bothered by such things.

I thought he was getting cocky and was always irritated, but after all, Yukito was still Yukito.

In an instant, I was in a good mood and told him the whole story leading up to now. While I was fully sharing experiences that Yukito could never have had in his lifetime, I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction standing above him as a life mentor.

The position of me and Yukito is just like this, after all.

“Oh. I didn’t tell him to keep quiet about Yuika, did I?”

It had been a long time since I had talked with Yukito, so it completely slipped my mind. Such opportunities had completely disappeared, and since we were childhood friends, I must have naturally let my guard down.

The fact that I ended up having a relationship with Yuika while still not having broken up with Serika is considered cheating by those around me. Moreover, the person I had a relationship with already had a boyfriend, making it a full-fledged case of NTR.

Yokokawa came to complain to me and then took an indifferent attitude as he directed his anger towards Yukito. Probably, he said something like, “You’re childhood friends, so you should at least give him a warning or two.” To someone who knows nothing, like him.

There is no one who wouldn’t feel uncomfortable when being unjustly confronted with anger. Even the most good-natured person would feel the same way. Even if his girlfriend is cheating on him with his childhood friend, he has no obligation to tell him, and he might even think, “Serves him right.”

“Haha!! That guy, he only has a bad ending!”

The sound of laughter echoes in the bathroom.

Having warmed both body and mind thoroughly, I got out of the bathtub with a splash.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

When I found out that my childhood friend had committed the lowest act as a human being, I told the victim, Shirou, via LINE what I had heard from Daiki.

Although the message was read, there was no reply, and the next day arrived. Shirou didn’t come to school.

“I don’t have anything to do with it, but it does bother me a bit when there’s no one standing out.”

I was spending lunch break together with Kubo as he looked towards Shirou’s seat.

Having been deeply involved with Shirou in a sense, and having an idea of why he took a break, I couldn’t find the words to respond.

That day, whether I was attending class or with Saitou-san and Kubo, I couldn’t get Shirou out of my mind.

Not only was his girlfriend taken by someone else, but she was also confiding her complaints about him to another man. It’s not surprising that he couldn’t recover from the double shock.

At this rate, it might end up with him not going to school at all…

<I’m sorry for having to tell you something like that.>

<It would make me happy if you could contact me when you have settled down.>

It felt like any word I used could hurt Shirou right now, but I still typed out the message carefully in my own way.

Even after some time had passed, it still hadn’t been read.

“Yoshizaki, is something wrong?”

On my way home, Saitou-san asked me that.

Her round eyes looking up at me are scary right now, so I avert my gaze.

“…It’s nothing. Well then.”

I leave the classroom as if fleeing.

It was the first time I left before Saitou-san.

I might have acted unpleasantly. I felt sorry for Saitou-san, hated myself, and my chest ached.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Monday, after the weekend.

“Good morning~, Yuki!”

Seeing the person who patted my shoulder, I involuntarily exclaimed, “Huh?”

There stood Shirou, waving his hand gently.

“Go…od, morning.”

“Woah, I’m so surprised! Isn’t it a super broken Japanese?”

“It’s because there was no contact over the weekend either. I was wondering if you would take today off too.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that… To be honest, I had a ton of things I wanted to talk to Yuki about. When I tried to put it into words, it just didn’t come together, so I thought I’d just ask you directly. And I just simply wanted to see Yuki.”

Hehe, Shirou’s face looks a bit haggard as he smiles. The wounds have not yet healed.

Even though it must be tough, he acts the same as usual and even says he wants to see me. Even though he hasn’t come to school yet, he probably didn’t want to come to the classroom where the person who took his girlfriend was.

The relief of seeing Shirou’s face and the pain of knowing he is still struggling surge up simultaneously.

“…I’ll listen to as much as you want. I really wanted to see Shirou too, so I’m really happy.”

I gently grasp Shirou’s hand with both of mine and smile at him.

“Thank you for coming, Shirou.”

“…~~~~. That thank you is supposed to be my line…”

Shirou laughs, a glimmer appearing at the corners of his droopy eyes.

He’s really easy to cry.

“Yuki. Thank you for listening to all sorts of things from me and worrying about me so much. I really appreciate it–––”

“What are you doing?”

The voice that interrupted Shirou’s words was familiar but slightly lower than usual.

At the place where Shirou and I directed our gaze, there was a small and cute girl looking up at us.

Seeing her with a chocolate-colored backpack, it seems she just arrived at school.

“Saitou, san?”

“I’m asking what you’re doing.”

Even though her expressionless face and hard-to-read voice are the same as always, what is this… this chill? Her eyes are glazed over, and it’s extremely frightening.

There is an intimidating presence, like a cat that doesn’t move an inch, doesn’t make a sound, and just glares quietly.

“We just had something to do and were talking for a bit, that’s all~. Hey, Yuki.”

Shirou says that and looks at me.

I don’t know why Saitou-san was angry, but I nodded in gratitude to Shirou as he answered on my behalf.

…But.

“–––Yuki…?”

The temperature of the air surrounding Saitou-san drops even further.

Oh no, I muttered as I was utterly bewildered next to Shirou.