Can I brag about my very devoted wife to you?

Reunion

One day, just before the summer vacation, I went home from school. I visited a cram school to get a brochure for a summer course camp. Riko and I had already talked about it, and we decided that if we wanted to attend, we would go together. Incidentally, Riko was at the supermarket today to buy groceries, so we were going separately. Since I’ve been going home alone with Riko every day, my right hand feels a little lonely. I still can’t believe that holding hands with her is now a normal part of my life.

“You never know what’s going to happen in life…”

I remembered the cute expression on Riko’s face as she pampered me and smiled as I left the school.

“… Minato?”

As we passed each other, I heard a girl’s voice call me by my first name. I looked up reflexively and froze the moment I saw the other person’s face.

“… T-Takamiya…”

My throat twitched, and I couldn’t get the words out. My palms were covered in cold sweat.

The person who called out my name was Rin Takamiya, a classmate from junior high school.

Her hair, which had been a boyish short cut, had grown longer and her appearence had changed to a more feminine one, but there was no mistaking her.

“–Minato, you’re not mistaken, are you? It’s too unlikely that you’d be conscious of me after just a little talk, right?”

“Because it’s a lot harder for a guy to think he’s liked right away like that.”

“Because I’ve never thought of Minato as a friend.”

The words that Takamiya had given me were passing through my mind. Yes. Takamiya was the reason why I became afraid of girls in general, and she was still the person who sometimes haunted me in my dreams. That’s why I knew who she was in an instant, even if her face had become more mature after three years.

“…”

Why did Takamiya call out my name? I couldn’t think of a reason, so I quickly turned on my heel and was about to leave quickly when something unbelievable happened.

“Wait, Minato…! I’ve always wanted to apologize to you…!”

“… Eh…?”

When I turned around in confusion and fear, Takamiya was staring at me with a pale face.

“I’m sorry for what I did in the third grade… I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“…”

I was confused as I looked down at Takamiya, who bowed deeply to me. People on the street looked back at us as if to say, “What’s going on?”

“…Um, you’re standing out, please look up.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry…”

Takamiya slowly raised her head and looked as if she was about to start crying. The Takamiya in my memory was always strong and never showed such a weak expression.

“I’ve tried to go to the high school where Minato goes to apologize many times, but I just couldn’t work up the courage… I know it’s not something that can be forgiven by apologizing… But I’m really sorry…”

I don’t know how to take it. I wonder why Takamiya regretted it so much…It’s true that Takamiya’s words were traumatic to me, but she was just telling me what she really felt back then.

“Minato, do you have time after this? There’s something I need to tell you. It’s about a girl named Hanae-san.”

“Eh?”

Why is Riko’s name coming out of Takamiya’s mouth…!

To be honest, just being with Takamiya makes me feel suffocated, but if Riko is involved, I can’t just run away.

“All right. We’ll talk somewhere else.”

I replied, straining my legs, which were about to start shaking.

◇◇◇

— Meanwhile.

(I’m glad I was able to buy some fresh tomatoes. I’ll use them to make Minato-kun’s favorite meat pie today.. I wonder if Minato-kun is still at cram school… Ugh, thinking about Minato-kun makes me want to see his face. We just said goodbye at school… Maybe I can meet him even earlier, so I’ll go through the street in front of the cram school!)