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

“Yuki, see you tomorrow~”

“See you tomorrow.”

Shirou waved his hand vigorously this way and left the classroom with a few boys.

I waved back while receiving the gazes of my classmates who were probably his friends.

I can feel them saying, why are you hanging out with such a loser…

“Hey.”

My shoulders jerked up in surprise at the voices of the two people behind me.

What I saw when I turned around were Kubo and Saitou-san, with whom I had hardly spoken today.

The two people who spoke to me at the same time exchanged glances. A few seconds later, Kubo made a gesture as if guiding his hand from Saitou-san towards me, and then stepped back quietly.

Saitou-san had silently said “Please go ahead,” as she looked up at me again after expressing her gratitude.

“When did you get close to that guy?”

“That guy?”

“That flippant red perm. You were almost together all day today.”

Even Shirou is remembered by his nickname…

Seeing Kubo nodding repeatedly, it seemed he was concerned.

“With Shirou, that… there have been various things.”

I don’t know how to explain it, so it ends up being vague.

Yokokawa and his girlfriend… I don’t want to spread around what happened to his ex-girlfriend without permission.

I continue speaking while increasing the speed of thought as much as possible.

“Like, we got closer by talking about our problems?”

“…Is that all?”

“Eh?”

“Did you start calling each other by nicknames and first names just because of that?”

Without taking my eyes off her, Saitou-san takes a step closer.

The usually listless round eyes are wide open, emitting a mysterious pressure. It’s just plain scary.

I nod my head, feeling the gazes of my classmates who stayed in the classroom beside us, wondering, “What did he do this time?” I couldn’t think of any other good reason besides doing that.

For about 5 seconds, I was subjected to an aura and intense gaze that didn’t match my petite and delicate appearance.

Saitou-san lowered her gaze to the floor and murmured.

“Yeah… Just that.”

From behind Saitou-san spoke briefly, something was seen burning fiercely in red.

This morning it was snowing, and next, it was on fire.

Did I unintentionally step on Saitou-san’s landmine…?!

“Um~, can I join too?”

Kubo raised his voice to prevent Saitou-san’s flames from spreading.

Just like this morning with Shirou, I thanked Kubo in my heart and asked, “What?”

“This is more like something I want to ask you or maybe a favor. You know, we’re pretty close, right?”

“That, I mean, I think Kubo and I get along quite well.”

“Don’t come at me so naturally with that, you oblivious handsome guy. Your face isn’t bad either.”

“Thank you, eh, huh…?

In front of me, who couldn’t tell if I was being scolded or praised, Saitou-san had somehow calmed down as she was nodding along.

These two actually get along well, don’t they?

“Anyway! I’m also your friend, so I think it would be nice if we could be a bit more casual, like with Yokokawa.”

“Ha, haa.”

“In the end, I definitely want to call you by your first name.”

“I-is that so? If you had said that from the beginning…”

“Get a clue!! It’s been about a month since we started talking regularly, you know?! Don’t make me say it now when I have been hiding my embarrassment until now!”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Even though I feel pressured by Kubo, who is blushing and snapping at me, I can feel a warmth spreading in my chest.

As friends, Kubo thought so too.

–––Even if you can’t surpass them, there are still people who seem special, right? Someone like Kubo.

–––Because we’re friends, right?

What Saitou-san once said comes to mind.

She was right.

Happiness outweighs the relief, and my cheeks relax.

“…Thank you, Kouki.”

“Ah, hey, that’s unfair!! I thought you forgot my name.”

“I remember it well. It’s the name of a friend.”

“Why, why do you say things so casually… Yukito?”

He pushed up his glasses while laughing while intending to hide his embarrassment… no, Kouki.

A dear friend called out to me when I was spending time alone after leaving the group.

Today, I finally feel like I have solidified my relationship with him.

An awkward yet unpleasant atmosphere flows between Kouki and me.

As if tearing it apart, a slender arm grabbed the collar of the hollow chest forcefully.

“–––M, e, t, o, o?”

At the low voice that came out of Saitou-san’s mouth as she unleashed something dark from behind, Kouki and I recoiled.

There was no light in her round eyes, and she was dark as if filled in with a black crayon. Even though it should be harder than usual to read her emotions, an overwhelming anger is clearly conveyed.

Kouki, who is taking it head-on, is trembling all over and looks like she might cry at any moment.

It’s not just a matter of stepping on a cat’s tail by mistake.

Right now, she’s a dark fallen berserker…!!

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, just spare my life!”

“I won’t allow it. Don’t create an atmosphere for the two of you on your own. Why are you getting involved right after that random guy?”

“I kind of understand, but it wasn’t on purpose!! Please, seriously, give me a breakeeeeee!!”

“Saitou-san, please stop already?! If you go any further, Kouki will die from fear!!”

The grip on Kouki’s shirt tightened, and his face drew closer to the eyes that held the darkness of the abyss.

The screams echoed through the classroom. Desperately trying to separate the two of them. Classmates who are watching us from a distance.

The situation that had developed was utterly chaotic.

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 went outside, the sky was still bright and the sun had not yet set. Instead, the humid air clings to my skin.

During the rainy season, the annoyance tends to increase in the afternoon, but it isn’t like that now.

“…I’m sorry about earlier. I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“No, I’m not really… You should probably tell Kouki that.”

“…Impossible.”

“It’s impossible…?”

Saitou-san is walking next to me and turns her head away.

Even though I smile at her childish side, it doesn’t end there when I remember what happened at school.

About half an hour ago.

For some reason, Saitou-san had entered a furious mode and almost mentally killed Kouki. Even after separating from Kouki, Saitou-san was still seething with anger, so as a way to calm her down, I decided to show her a recent video of Maru.

Even though I felt anxious that this might not work, as I watched Maru going back and forth, the dark aura surrounding Saitou-san gradually diminished, and the darkness in her eyes cleared up. Having narrowly escaped death, Kouki left the classroom, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.

I showed Maru’s videos and photos until Saitou-san completely calmed down, and then we left the school building together earlier.

“Can I ask why you got suddenly angry?”

While glancing sideways to gauge the situation, I voice what has been on my mind.

Saitou-san slightly curled her lips and looked at me. With a hint of unease.

“You’re not going to laugh?”

I wondered why she thought it was so embarrassing, but it might be a significant matter for her.

When I nodded, Saitou-san let out a sigh and said quietly.

“I was envious, that’s why.”

“…What?”

“That newcomer, not at all… It’s because Shirou and Kubo were the first to call Yoshizaki by your first name. I’m also close with Yoshizaki, we both love cats, I have even visited your house, and yet…”

–––Eh?

I almost stopped in my tracks at Saitou-san’s words.

Just as I landed my foot forward at the last moment, I moved it firmly to avoid falling behind, while organizing the information in my mind.

In the meantime, Saitou-san continued talking.

“That red perm, just the other day you were talking and Yoshizaki called him by his name, and over there he was calling you by a nickname… I thought it was unfair, and then Kubo got ahead of me too, so I couldn’t hold back anymore.”

She was envious. She thought it was unfair.

…That, no, there’s no way that could be true.

When I arrived at the station, Saitou-san turned around to look at me.

“To put it another way, it’s way too childish. You can laugh, it’s okay.”

My heart aches as I see her faintly smiling while looking a bit pained.

I can’t laugh. There’s no way I could laugh.

She envies how Shirou and Kouki call each other by their first names, and she thinks it’s unfair that they are ahead of her, it’s just like–––.

“Thank you for everything up to this point. Well then.”

Saitou-san waved her small hand as she was heading towards the station.

Before I even thought about leaving, my body had already reacted.

“Wait…!”

I grab the small hand that was waved at me.