After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - Chapter 15
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- After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me
- Chapter 15 - My Childhood Friend/It’s Like Magic/Tightly?
My Childhood Friend/It’s Like Magic/Tightly?
That time, I was sure I heard it.
The word ‘like’ and…
At that moment, my mind gone blank and I couldn’t think of anything else.
Neither I nor Tsukino said anything. Tsukino was looking at me with a dreamy expression… Then, I wondered how long has it been.
It was as if time that had stopped was starting to move again. Tsukino’s face turns bright red.
“~~~!!!”
Tsukino blushed and panicked. Then, as if she was unable to bear her embarrassment, she suddenly dives onto the sofa and buries her face into the cushions.
“Tsu-Tsukino?”
“D-Don’t say anything. Just hearing Yuto’s voice makes my heart throb really fast. …I didn’t mean for it to end up like this. I just wanted to cook with Yuto.”
“So, I guess you really meant what you said earlier…?”
Immediately, I felt my whole body heat up. Did Tsukino just confess her feelings to me? Even though we have been together since we were little? My childhood friend just confessed to me?
“U-Umm, I’m sorry. L-Let me make sure about it. D-Did you just say… you like me?”
Tsukino nodded.
“Yuto, it’s not fair. I can’t believe you pet my head gently like that. My mind was in a daze… When I realized what I did I found myself saying I love you.”
“I-I see.”
Oh no. I can’t look at Tsukino’s face properly.
I never once thought that Tsukino was in love with me. I had never imagined a relationship with Tsukino other than next door childhood friends.
We awkwardly sat across to each other without saying anything. Eventually, Tsukino said something.
“I’ve realized I liked Yuto since I was a little girl. Yuto is a very dependable person, and just being around him makes me feel calm and comfortable. Before I know it, my heart began to beat really fast whenever I think of Yuto. I don’t want to remain being a childhood friend to Yuto, I want to have a more special relationship with Yuto.”
“I didn’t know… I didn’t know Tsukino is looking at me that way.”
“I also tried my best to hide the fact that I liked Yuto. … I knew that even if I confessed my feelings to him, he wouldn’t be interested in me.”
Tsukino picked herself up and squeezed the cushion sadly.
“Because it’s not me that Yuto likes, it’s Hinata-san.”
That one word was so shocking that it made me feel dizzy.
“…ha, what was that? Me? Like Hintata?”
“That’s why when I found out that Hinata-san is Yuto’s sister, I was so happy that I finally got a chance. That’s why I decided to learn how to cook. I thought that maybe Yuto would be interested in me if I do so.”
“I told you, I don’t have any special feelings for Hinata… Well, never mind. I don’t really care either way now. Even if I have a crush on her, I will definitely have a heartbreak. I don’t have the slightest bit of unresolved feelings for Hyuga anymore.”
“All you do is lie. Yuto, you still love Hinata-san.”
What Tsukino said to me pierced my heart deeply.
“What!?”
“I know that much about you. I am your childhood friend who has been with Yuto for more than ten years, you know? …you still can’t get over Hinata, can’t you? Yuto is so single-minded.”
Tsukino sees through all of me.
“I know how Yuto feels. It’s hard to accept the fact that a girl who was your classmate just a few days ago is now your older sister, right? It’s very painful to not even be allowed to have a crush on someone, isn’t it?”
Tsukino showed me her wound that she could not show to anyone.
It was the comfort I had been seeking somewhere in my heart, and Tsukino’s every word resonated deeply in my chest.
“Hey, Yuto. Am I not good enough?”
She said in gently like an angel.
Tsukino gave me a soft smile in response to my confusion.
“I know that you love Hinata-san, okay? That’s why I want you to go out with me so that you can forget about Hinata-san. If you get a girlfriend, your love for Hinata-san might fade, right?”
“U-Uh, t-that’s…”
“Or maybe, Yuto hates me?”
“That’s not true, but—”
It is my sincere wish to see Hinata as my sister, not as a potential partner. It is certainly reasonable to go out with another girl for that purpose.
But how could I do that to Tsukino? How could I betray Tsukino’s feelings like that?
Tsukino gets up from the sofa and pushes her way over to me, who was sitting down.
While in a position where she is on the verge of pushing me down, Tsukino opens her mouth with her blushing cheeks.
“I like you, Yuto.”
“Tsu-Tsukino…!”
“I like you.”
“……..”
She was really close to me that it almost took my breath away, my heart seemed to stopped for a while.
For me, Tsukino is irreplaceable. She is my childhood friend who is more precious to me than anyone else.
How could I not be happy when such a girl told me that she liked me?
But…
“I’m sorry, Tsukino. …I can’t go out with Tsukino.”
Tsukino gasped.
I felt really guilty that my heart hurts. But I think I shouldn’t fool myself about this feeling.
Tsukino is my childhood friend; I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her.
“Tsukino is right. I still love Hinata. That’s why I can’t respond to Tsukino’s feelings.”
“I’m sure you want to forget about Hinata-san, don’t you? If that’s the case, then just go out with me…”
“That’s absolutely not right. How broken hearted will Tsukino be if I go out with her when there’s someone I like?”
“I don’t care. If I can go out with Yuto, you can use me as you like, okay?”
I was at a loss for words, there was not the slightest hesitation in her words.
“I want to be someone special to you. The most important thing for you to remember is that you should not be afraid to ask for help. …if you ask for my help, I’ll do anything you want me to do, okay?”
Her words even sounded like a whisper from the devil.
If I gave myself into Tsukino’s kindness. I might be able to end my love for Hinata. I might be able to build a relationship with Tsukino that goes beyond childhood friends.
But my decision remains the same.
“Tsukino told me that I am an immature person who couldn’t forget my one-sided love. Maybe she was right about it. Even if I go out with Tsukino, I’m sure that I’ll still remember Hinata.”
I looked straight back into Tsukino’s eyes as she stares at me. I won’t run away from this.
“Because I’ve known Tsukino since I was a little boy, I absolutely refuse to go out with her with such half-hearted feelings.”
“…do you really like Hinata-san that much?”
“I’m sorry. Tsukino is right, I need to forget about Hinata. But… she is my first love. Hinata is the first girl I ever had feelings for.”
When I think about first love, I feel it’s like magic. I found myself falling madly in love with one girl, and I felt I was invincible just thinking about her. I even felt like I could do anything if Hinata would turn her attention to me.
But there are no magic in this world.
Both me and Hinata don’t know how to break the spell that has been cast.
“It’s pathetic, isn’t it? I thought I’ve decided to give up on my first love the day I found out Hinata is my older sister. But just seeing Hinata’s face reminds me of those days. I’m really happy about Tsukino’s feelings, though. I’m… I’m—!”
The moment I said it. Tsukino hugged my body as if to wrap it softly.
“It’s okay. Thank you for talking to me properly. …Yuto, it must have been hard for you. You love Hinata-san that much, don’t you?”
“…I’m sorry Tsukino.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Don’t put such sad face as if you’re going to cry. Come on, it’s okay.”
‘Pon-pon’ Tsukino patted my head as if she was soothing a child.
“…I told you to stop petting me, right? I’m not a child anymore.”
“Yuto did the same for me earlier, so I’m just returning the favor, okay?”
Really, Tsukino is so kind and gentle. I almost cried.
“But I just got rejected. It’s too bad, I always liked Yuto.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t mind it okay? I haven’t given up on Yuto yet.”
“What…?”
“I was surprised at myself. I was astonished that Yuto is so single-minded to his love for Hinata-san, but it seems that I am the same as Yuto as well.”
Then Tsukino moves away from me. What came across Tsukino’s face was a blushing smile, her expression wasn’t like a girl who just got her confession rejected.
“I know you want to forget about your first love with Hinata-san and become her brother, right? Then that means if Yuto’s feelings for Hinata-san cools down, I might still have a chance, right?”
Tsukino smiles gently.
“I know I can’t be Yuto’s girlfriend right now, but when the time comes, can I confess my feelings to Yuto again? …I don’t want to worry about the possibility that Yuto might go out with some other girls anymore.”
Tsukino spoke without hesitation, and all I could do was to look at her.
Me and Tsukino are pretty much alike.
We both understand that our love is not fruitful, and yet we both can’t forget the person we have feelings for. The only difference is that I am desperately trying to forget about it and Tsukino is desperately trying to make it happen.
The urge to be in love with someone may push a person to any extent.
“Hey, Tsukino. Can you let me promise you one thing?”
I took a big deep breath and spoke clearly.
“I will try my best to see Hinata and live with her as a family, as my older sister. But I’m sure Tsukino will feel uneasy if I stay with Hinata. So, until I forget about my first love, I want you to let me promise that I won’t refuse any of Tsukino’s requests.”
That’s my own way of taking care Tsukino.
Because I can’t forget about my first love, I made Tsukino really sad. So, I wanted to fulfil everything Tsukino wanted me to do.
“Anything? Then, kiss me?”
“…I-I’m sorry. Not all of Tsukino’s request.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to make a promise and then pull it back after five seconds.”
“Shush, you can’t blame me! I didn’t expect you would ask something like that. I thought you would want some good food or something like that…”
“I’m just kidding. I don’t really want Yuto to kiss me, okay? I don’t want to be kissed by Yuto when he is still in love with Hinata-san.”
Hmm… I feel like I’m being played.
“But I will try my best to fulfil all of Tsukino’s request.”
“Really? Then… hug me?”
Tsukino gently falls down into my side as if she is leaning on me.
I wonder if she wanted me to hug her over her back.
“I’ve always wanted to be hugged like this by Yuto. You can at least do this can’t you?”
…this is normal right? We’re childhood friends anyway, it’s just a normal thing for childhood friends to do right?
“Hmm… yeah, this is fine.”
I awkwardly and carefully hugged Tsukino as if I’m trying not to damage a precious treasure. I embraced Tsukino’s body.
She smells so soft and really sweet. Her hands were really warm.
It was strange. I’ve known Tsukino since I was a little boy, but I didn’t know she could make my heart throb like that.
After all, it was because Tsukino told me she liked me, wasn’t it?
“Thanks. The most important thing to remember is that I can’t get a better deal than this. I’m the only person that has this kind of privilege in this world.”
“I don’t think anyone would be happy to get this kind of privilege from a regular high school student like me.”
“No, that’s not true. At least, it is special for me. I never dreamed that I could be like this to Yuto, like a girlfriend.”
Certainly, I never really saw Tsukino as a potential partner. We always had been together since we were little.
“Are you ready? I’ll spoil Yuto a lot until he forgets about Hinata-san.”
As she said it, I suddenly think.
Someday, Tsukino will surely confess to me again.
If by then, I had forgotten my love for Hinata—would our relationship be more than just childhood friends?