Be careful with the laid-back beauty who took a liking to me. Otherwise, it will be too late! - Chapter 52: Mai Sakura\'s Soliloquy

Chapter 52: Mai Sakura’s Soliloquy

What should I do if the person I like has a girlfriend?

No matter how much I like him, I don’t want to intrude on the happiness he shares with her. I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s happiness. But what about my feelings?

I know it’s my fault for realizing this too late. If I had noticed my feelings earlier, would the future have changed…?

As I sat alone on a bench in the courtyard eating lunch, someone murmured behind me.

“Oohara… You might fall for him at this rate.”

“!”

Startled by the sudden voice, I nearly dropped my sandwich but managed to catch it just in time.

Turning around, I saw Koga standing there. I looked around, but she was the only one there; Hinata was not with her.

“Mind if I join you for lunch?”

“Um, sure…”

“Thanks.”

She scooted a little closer and sat down slowly beside me.

I hadn’t expected Koga to ask to eat lunch together, so I was a bit surprised.

(Where’s Hinata? He usually eats with me.)

After taking a bite of my sandwich, I couldn’t help but glance at the delicious-looking bento she had.

“Did you make that yourself?”

“Yep, it’s cheaper to make it myself.”

“Wow… you must be good at cooking.”

“Well, it’s okay. Not that I’m particularly skilled at it…”

She said that, but from what I could see, her bento looked very tasty.

Many people just throw in frozen food for convenience, but it was clear to me she didn’t go that route.

“Can you cook, Oohara?”

“I can cook. I usually make bentos, but I didn’t have time today.”

I showed her my sandwich, and she replied with a simple, “I see.”

“Are you living alone, Koga?”

“? I don’t think I’ve mentioned that to you… Did someone tell you?”

“No, I just guessed it.”

“Is that so…? Yeah, I live alone. I had to ask my parents several times to get their approval.”

“Wow… Are your parents strict?”

“Yeah, they are.”

Before I knew it, Koga had finished her bento in no time.

(She eats fast…)

Once she put away her lunch, she quietly stood up and turned around to look at me.

“Thanks for eating with me…”

“…You’re welcome. Hey, Koga, can I confess to Hinata?”

If she said no here, I would give up on Hinata and settle for being his childhood friend from now on.

It took a moment for her to respond, and then she slowly spoke up.

“Go ahead. Love is free… I won’t stop you.”

I didn’t know if she thought she wouldn’t be in danger of losing Hinata by saying that. I understood that my confession would likely be rejected.

“Then, can I borrow Hinata after school today?”

“Sure. I don’t know how he’ll feel about it, though.”

“…Thanks.”

“? Well, see you later.”

Koga turned her back to me and walked into the school building.

Since childhood, our families have interacted a lot. We used to have dinner together and sleep over.

Even after entering middle school, I continued having dinner with Hinata.

“Hey, does Hinata have someone he likes?”

“Whoa, that’s sudden…”

Somewhere deep down, I probably thought it would be fine. I believed Hinata wouldn’t be taken away by any other girl.

“I’ve never had a love talk with Hinata, so I was just curious…”

“I don’t like anyone right now. I’ve never really dated.”

“…I see.”

“Do you have someone you like?”

“I…”

I liked Hinata. But at that time, I didn’t understand what that feeling truly meant.

“I don’t like anyone either. If I do, I’ll let you know. I’d be curious as a childhood friend.”

“Really? You probably like someone and will end up dating first. You’re cute and smart.”

“Cute…”

When I muttered that, Hinata suddenly remembered what he had said and panicked.

“Eh? Oh, that was…”

“That makes me happy… Thank you.”

I wondered how long we could continue to have dinners together like this. I wanted to keep eating with Hinata forever.

Change is scary. I wanted to stay in this relationship with him.

“Hey, Hinata, I have ice cream. Want some?”

“I’d love to.”

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

As I watched Hinata sit on the sofa and start eating ice cream, I slowly sat down next to him.

(I want things to stay like this forever…)

I had been Hinata’s childhood friend for so long. But now I thought that wasn’t enough.

“If I confess and get rejected, I’ll just have to give up for good.”

Today, I got to walk home with Mai Sakura for the first time in ages—since middle school, actually. I was surprised when she invited me to go home together, but when I told Hinata, he said to go ahead.

It seemed like Sakura knew that Mai would invite me home today.

(I wonder if she has something important to talk about…)

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Hinata.”

“You didn’t make me wait long at all.”

We walked out of the school together, heading toward the station. For some reason, it had been hard to talk to Mai lately, not due to nervousness or anything.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, we reached the station, passed through the ticket gates, and waited for the train. When we got off the train and exited the ticket gates, we stopped in a plaza-like area, and Mai opened her mouth.

“I wonder if we can’t have dinner together like we used to…”

Her voice was soft, but I could hear it clearly. It felt like a monologue, and she seemed to want me to hear it too.

Ever since I started spending time with Sakura, the days when I had dinner with Mai almost every day suddenly disappeared. I hadn’t declined her invitations because I disliked her; it was because I had developed feelings for someone else.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…I like you, Hinata. I know it doesn’t mean anything to say this, but I liked you before Koga.”

“…Yeah, thanks.”

I was genuinely happy to hear Mai’s confession. However, I couldn’t reciprocate her feelings because I liked Sakura.

“I’m really glad you told me. But I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing my words, Mai turned away. After a moment, she turned back to face me. I could see that her eyes were red; she had clearly been crying.

She slapped her cheek lightly and took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Alright! I’m fine now! So, Hinata, even if we can’t date, we can still stay childhood friends, right?”

“Um, well, yeah…”

“Then let’s keep that relationship going. As childhood friends.”

Looking at her outstretched hand, I glanced at her face, then reached out and gently took her hand.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”