After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - Chapter 26

Dining Table/A Long Time Ago/This Sunday

Three days later, Hinata’s cold was completely gone.

I wanted to thank Tsukino again for helping me to take care of Hinata—Hinata also felt the same way and told me to invite Tsukino to a dinner party. Tsukino indeed had taken a good care of Hinata while she was sick.

Well, to tell the truth, I was a little nervous.

After all, Tsukino knows that Hinata is my first love, and when the three of us was sitting at the dining table, so I can’t help but to feel nervous.

On the table was a large selection of sushi. It was me and Hinata who bought it, we decided to split the cost between us. We wanted to make the dinner a little more luxurious for Tsukino’s visit.

Tsukino had her usual blank expression on her face, but her eyes seemed to be sparkling when she saw the sushi.

“I always have dinner at home, so it’s been a long time since I’ve had sushi. Hey, Yuto, if I said I wanted to eat sushi like this, would you make it for me?”

“I guess it will be hard to make without using a sushi roller, and learning how to use it isn’t easy as well.”

“I see. Well, good luck then, I’m rooting for you.”

What was I talking about? I was talking about sushi as if I’m going to focus my career on becoming a sushi chef.

But again, it was a strange sight.

One was the sunflower goddess, my first love who is extremely popular with everyone at school.

The other was the moon angel, my childhood friend who is rumoured by others to have a mysterious atmosphere.

I never thought the day when I’m sitting at the dinner table with the two of them would come.

When I turned my attention to Hinata, she looked somewhat depressed and her eyes looked downcast. She looked different and she looked rather gloomy.

Then, Tsukino called out to Hinata.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Hinata-san. Everyone in the student council is also really glad you’re feeling better.”

“…yeah, right.”

Hinata turned her attention to a basket-shaped bouquet of flowers in the room. It was a gift from the student council for Hinata, a get well soon gift.

But Hinata stared apologetically at it.

It was as if her eyes were trying to say that she is sorry for betraying so much trust.

“What’s wrong, Hinata-san? We’re here for sushi and celebrate your recovery, but you seemed down.”

“…I want to say this again to Yuto and Tsukino-chan.”

Hinata put her chopsticks down and bowed her head. She bowed so deeply that I couldn’t see the expression on her face.

“I’m sorry, I’ve caused so much trouble for the both of you. I should’ve taken care of myself, it’s just a common cold after all. I am ashamed that I bothered you both. I’ll make sure, it won’t happen again.”

Tsukino immediately pouts at Hinata’s words.

But I kind of had it in mind that’s how it was going to turn out.

“I’ve told you before, none of us feel bothered. So, I don’t understand why are you apologizing so much.”

“That’s not true at all. Tsukino-san replaced me in the student council meeting, and Yuto did all of the housework. All of them was the things I should’ve done.”

I couldn’t stop the worried feeling in my chest.

Hinata apologized excessively just for merely taking care of her. The way she looked was a lot different from the sunflower goddess I know.

So, I asked Hinata something that I had been wondering for a long time.

“I’ve been wondering this for a long time now, but didn’t Hinata catch a cold when she was busy preparing the Holy Night Festival?”

I hesitantly said.

“Could it be that Hinata was aware she wasn’t feeling well but she still pushed herself to work on her student council activities?”

“…that’s not true.”

Hinata’s eyes were clearly averted when she answered me.

She is such a bad liar.

I’m sure Hinata must have realized that she wasn’t feeling well and she knew she needed to rest. But still, she forced herself through it and thus she caught a cold.

“You caught your cold while you were preparing for the Holy Night Festival. Why did you try to handle it all by yourself? I know you have a strong sense of responsibility, but to me it looks like you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“…yeah, I guess.”

As if she was giving up on covering it, Hinata said.

“Ahh, that’s too bad. I don’t want Tsukino, the student council, or even Yuto to see how weak I am. That’s why I’ve been working so hard.”

“…Hinata?”

Hinata gave a troubled smile to Tsukino who was taken aback.

“It was a long time ago, okay? There was a little girl. She was born without a father, maybe that’s why she thought she’s a child who no one loved.”

The sudden recounting of an old story left Tsukino and me speechless.

I remember what Hinata said some time ago when she was holding a stuffed animal in her hand.

‘—umm, it’s a long time ago, okay? But I don’t have many friends when I was little.’

That girl might be…

“But then, that girl realized that she needs to do something. If no one loves her, she just needs to work hard to be loved by everyone. So, the girl worked really hard. The girl learned to do household chores and made her mother happy. She studied really hard to get a lot of praise from her teacher. She even practiced smiling so that she could get along with her friends.”

There was three of us inside the room, the only voice that echoed in the room was Hinata’s.

“But then one day, she thought to herself, she isn’t the ideal honor student.”

Then, I surely saw it.

A smile so lonely that it was too hard to believe that she is the sunflower goddess.

“—I thought, people are going to hate me because of it.”

Oh, I see. So that’s how it is.

I always thought Hinata is special. I thought she was naturally serious, smart, and kind. I thought that’s why she became an honor student.

But that’s not the case.

Hinata wants to be loved by everyone, she became an honor student because of her hard work—that’s why she is afraid to lose it more than anyone else.

Wait a minute. So, the reason why Hinata joined the student council, and the reason why she wanted to be the student council president—was because her dream of being someone who is loved and respected by many people?

“I’m just using that story as an example. I’m sure there are many girls in this world who feels that way. But it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it too much, okay?”

“…I don’t hate you Hinata-san.”

Tsukino spoke with a muffled voice.

The look on Tsukino’s face was so sad that I don’t think anyone at school had ever seen her in that expression before.

“I want to be friend with Hinata-san not because she’s an honor student or anything like that. I want to be friend with her just because I like Hinata-san. Can’t we stay just like that?”

“…I’m very happy to hear you say that Tsukino-chan. I don’t think those words are a lie.”

However, Hinata still had a troubled smile on her face.

“But you know, maybe the girl will say… She has worked so hard all this time because she wanted to be loved by everyone. If she quits to work that hard, she would betray all their feelings.”

“…I see.”

“I’m sorry, Tsukino. The atmosphere has become really heavy, hasn’t it? Let’s have dinner instead of talking about this. We don’t get to eat sushi that often after all.”

I felt Hinata’s voice was really empty then.

When we were just classmates, I looked up to Hinata as the perfect honor student.

But ever since that night when Hinata held my arm and told me to stay by her side for the night, ever since she shed that tear, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What can I do for Hinata?

Not as a classmate, not as a student council member—but as her family.

“Hey, Hinata. I have a favor to ask.”

“…? What it is?”

Hinata and Tsukino looked at me curiously.

I don’t know it was right or wrong, but I had already decided my decision.

A way to end Hinata’s anxiety and loneliness, a way for me and Hinata to become a true family.

“—will you go on a date with me this Sunday?”