Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 64: "I didn't do anything!"

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Well, uh… if that’s what Renji says, then it seems there’s nothing we can do to help,” Yuzuru interjected amidst mine and Hasegawa’s banter. It was very much appreciated, but I couldn’t help but notice that Yuzuru’s gaze had been shifting subtly.

Come to think of it, she had always been sensitive to matters of romance, even back in the classroom. Perhaps she wasn’t accustomed to dealing with such situations. It could be seen as either her being pure or innocent.

Nevertheless, her willingness to listen and offer advice was truly appreciated.

“Yeah. I’m sorry for burdening you with my concerns, but for now, it would really help if you could just watch over us. Both our situation and Sagiri’s unpredictable behavior,” I explained.

“Of course! We’re members of the Jibunken and friends, after all!” Yuzuru affirmed.

“Huh, whenever Yakumo-chan’s up to something, Akahori’s always involved. Besides, summer break starts tomorrow, so don’t worry too much about it,” Hasegawa added.

Both Yuzuru and Hasegawa’s words were comforting.

Hasegawa’s comment might have been unnecessary, but I appreciated the candidness typical of male friendships. It seemed that the male-to-female ratio in our Selfhood Research Club was shifting, thanks to Sagiri bringing in more female members.

As I pondered this, the door to the clubroom swung open with a clatter.

“I’m back!”

The girl who had rushed out of the clubroom earlier burst in energetically, carrying a folding chair in her left arm.

“Oh, sorry for the wait!”

The answer to whether she had gone to buy juice or not emerged from behind Sagiri.

It turned out that Sagiri had brought back a huge number of canned drinks, stashed away in a handbag that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The drinks were quickly laid out on the table in front of us, exceeding ten cans at a glance.

“Sagiri, did you make Kusakabe carry all of these for you?”

“No, I told her I would carry them too!”

“That’s not true! This was my idea, I said I’d carry them!”

As Sagiri approached with the clattering chair, trying to set it up beside me, I questioned her. However, before she could respond, Kusakabe raised her hand confidently, a gesture I hadn’t seen even during class.

“Y-Yakumo-san, it’s, um… it’s tough for you!”

“Tough? What do you mean by that?”

“W-Well, you see…”

Kussakabe’s voice gradually trailed off. Watching her struggle to explain, I felt a pang of guilt. It felt like I was doing something wrong just by listening. So, I turned to the other person for answers.

“Sagiri, did something happen?”

“N-Nothing!”

She replied instantly, stuttering slightly.

Her gaze seemed to be on me, but it kept shifting subtly. There was definitely something going on.

“…Kusakabe.”

“N-Nothing at all!”

Kusakabe’s response was just as hesitant.

Their reactions were so obvious that it made me wonder if they were even trying to hide something. But considering my recent experience with Kusakabe, I understood.

“Sigh… If there’s really nothing, then fine. But if something did happen, you need to tell me right away, okay?”

“Yeah!”

Letting out a sigh, I returned my gaze to Sagiri. She was sitting in a folding chair she had brought from somewhere, flashing me a killer smile.

This time, I involuntarily averted my gaze.

“Oh, how sweet!”

“Yeah, Renji’s always so sweet to Yakumo-chan!”

The duo sitting across from us were whispering to each other, though their voices were loud enough to be heard clearly… Weren’t they supposed to be watching over us?

“Renji, which one do you want, grape juice, grape juice, or grape juice?”

“Oh, well, I’ll take grape juice… They’re all the same anyway.”

“Hehehe, busted!”

Ignoring my response, I was lightly tapped on the shoulder from the side. When I turned to look, I saw my childhood friend sticking out her tongue and goofing around.

“Ugh… Y-Yuzuru-chan?! Wait, was all of that just a setup for this!?”

Watching Yuzuru and Hasegawa start a chaotic comedy skit, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of alienation.

“Um, I feel kind of left out…”

And then there was Kusakabe, letting out a despairing cry as she watched everything unfold.

“Hey, Renji, what were you, Yuzuru and Hasegawa talking about earlier?”

Coming full circle, amidst the fluctuating and tumultuous conversation, I couldn’t help but wonder about what was sandwiched in between. Suddenly, Sagiri approached, peering closely as if to question me.

“Well, um… Alright! Let’s get started with the club activities, everyone!”

Unable to answer Sagiri’s question, I tried to deflect with energy and enthusiasm.

Even before the activities of the “Selfhood Research Club” began, the small club room was already chaotic and bustling with noisy exchanges that couldn’t be contained.

“We’re running away, huh?”

“Yeah, looks like we are.”

“Y-Yeah, we totally ran away…”

“Are you trying to escape?”

“Sagiri!?”

Just as the atmosphere became tense, suddenly, Sagiri clung to me from the side as if to prevent me from escaping.

Skipping the details of the same exchanges as before, let’s just say my mental state was significantly drained by the time the club activities began.

Is it just me, or has it gotten worse since leaving the club room?