I Confessed My Sexual Preferences to My Online Game Best Friend, and the Person Who Showed Up at the Offline Meetup Was the Cute Girl from My Class - 25

Chapter 25: Something Only the Two of Us Know

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The place Ichinose-san led us to was a stylish café a short walk from the station, with eye-catching terrace seating. It was exactly the kind of space where high school girls would gather to chase “aesthetic” photos, a place that demanded a very high level of mental armor for a stay-at-home gamer like me just to set foot inside.

“Nihihi, here it is! They’ve got pistachio pancakes that are only available in May!”

Ichinose-san smoothly gave the reservation name to the staff and guided Shinonome-san and me to a booth toward the back. Just as Ichinose-san was about to sit next to me, she suddenly stopped, clapped her hands as if she’d had an idea, and spoke up.

“Oh! I know! Today, Rin-rin and Sato-kun should sit next to each other. Come on, it’s a special outing and all. Wouldn’t it be more fun if you two could talk more normally?”

“Eh? Ah, well… I don’t really mind either way…”

“Come on, Sato-kun too! Don’t bunch up at the edge! Go on!”

Pushed along by Ichinose-san’s unstoppable momentum, Shinonome-san and I ended up sitting side by side.

…

…We were close enough that our shoulders could touch. Shinonome-san kept a neutral expression, but somehow her posture looked straighter than usual. As for me, I had no idea where to look, so all I could do was stare intently at the cutlery set on the table.

“……E-excuse me, Shinonome-san.”

“……Yes. Likewise, Sato-kun.”

We exchanged awkwardly polite greetings, like relatives meeting for the first time. Across from us, Ichinose-san watched the scene with a grin that practically said this looks fun.

“Okay okay, let’s pick what we want!”

I opened the menu. Colorful pancakes filled the pages, but my eyes stopped on one item.

Ah… This one. This is the one Haru sent me a picture of during voice chat, saying “I want to try this next time.” The one with berries and custard…

I almost spoke without thinking. Three years of talking through a screen had drilled it into me. What she was likely to order, what she’d say next, I could tell instantly even through a voice changer.

“What are you getting, Sato-kun?”

“…I’ll go with this simple one. What about you, Shinonome-san?”

“I think I’ll have… Yes, this one, with custard and berries—”

That was when I realized it. Haru could handle berry sauce and actually liked it, but she couldn’t stand fresh berries. Looking closer, I could see them tucked between the layers of batter. Before I knew it, I spoke up.

“Oh, um—Shinonome-san. That pancake seems to have fresh blueberries in it… is that okay?”

“…Huh?”

Shinonome-san froze.

…

I’d done it. Haru (Shinonome-san) was fine with processed blueberries, but she hated the texture of fresh ones so much she once declared, “Those are food from hell.”

“…Sato-kun. How did you know that I don’t like fresh blueberries?”

Her eyes flickered with surprise and with a faint light that seemed to reaffirm our connection as partners. From Ichinose-san’s perspective, though, this had to look suspicious as hell. I hurriedly tried to cover it up.

“Ah—no! I just got the impression that you’re particular about food! Like, you look like someone who might not like fresh fruit or something… I was just guessing!”

“…Hmm. Just guessing, huh.”

Shinonome-san pursed her lips slightly, then whispered so only I could hear.

“(…Thanks, Kazu.)”

Then, beneath the table, her knee lightly bumped mine.

“Eh? Rin-rin, did you just say something to Kazucchi-kun?”

“Nope. Nothing.”

“Whoa… Wasn’t that timing amazing!? Kazucchi-kun, are you psychic or something?”

Ichinose-san sparkled with excitement.

“…No, really. It was just a hunch.”

“Nihihi, don’t be modest! …Hey, Kazucchi-kun.”

Ichinose-san suddenly lowered her voice and beckoned me closer, whispering in my ear.

“(You know… Rin-rin was really looking forward to meeting you today. At school she has to be the perfect ‘angel’ all the time, and it wears her out. But when she’s with you, it feels like she can relax a little.)”

“…Ichinose-san…”

“(So today, don’t treat her as ‘Shinonome-san.’ Just hang out with Rin-rin like a normal friend, okay?)”

She smiled with satisfaction and lightly patted my shoulder.

…

I see. She’d noticed, albeit vaguely, that Shinonome-san and I were close as friends, and instead of questioning it, she was welcoming me as someone important to Rin.

“Did you say something to Sato-kun, Saki?”

“Ehehe? Nothing~.”

Ichinose-san kept smiling nonstop. But this wasn’t her usual pasted-on smile. It felt genuine, like the smile came from the heart.

…Still, she really played me there.

“Oh right! I’m gonna run to the restroom! You two pick the menu together!”

She left with a wink, vanishing like the wind. That left just Shinonome-san and me. It felt like all the surrounding noise suddenly faded away.

“…Haru. That knee signal earlier… Don’t you think Ichinose-san might’ve seen it?”

When I whispered the warning, Shinonome-san hid her face behind the menu and snorted.

“It’s fine. That’s just how Saki is. Even if she noticed, she’d just go ‘Wow, you’re close!’ and move on. …More importantly, Kazu.”

“What?”

“…You really noticed the blueberry thing. I almost forgot myself.”

“…Of course I did. How many times do you think I’ve heard about it over three years? All your food preferences are fully databased in my head.”

“…W-what do you mean ‘preferences,’ you lousy vanguard.”

She snapped back, but then peeked over the menu and grinned at me. That smile wasn’t the flawless beauty of the school’s “angel.” It was younger, teasing, and unmistakably the smile of the partner I’d had my back to for three years.

“…That shirt suits you.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

“…Nihihi. Alright, let’s order. Once Saki gets back, we’ll have to go back to playing ‘Shinonome-san and Sato-kun.’”

Haru—no, Shinonome-san—flicked the hem of my shirt lightly with her finger, then calmly sipped her tea again. Saki Ichinose wasn’t teasing us about romance. She was simply, in her own way, watching over Rin—someone important to her—who had found a partner in me.

This was our high-stakes game of “pretending to be strangers” with Ichinose-san as our best and slightly troublesome accomplice. Our May Sunday was only going to get livelier from here.

“I’m back! Oh, have you two decided? I’m getting the pistachio pancakes!”

“Yes. I’ve decided as well. …Sato-kun, could you press the call button?”

“Ah—yes. Understood, Shinonome-san.”

Sharing secrets disguised as everyday life. Guided by Ichinose-san, we stepped forward into a new chapter of friendship, along with the sweet pancakes being brought to our table.

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The café’s powder room. In the clean, white space, I stood before the mirror and fixed my slightly messy bangs. The reflection showed Saki Ichinose smiling brightly as always, yet somehow different today.

“…Phew. Maybe I got a little too carried away.”

I let out a small breath and relaxed my cheeks. At school, I was always like this. Cheerful, making everyone smile, looking like I was having the most fun. That was the role expected of Saki Ichinose, and I understood that. But today, I almost forgot that role.

Probably because the atmosphere around those two just now had been so natural and warm.

Kazucchi-kun really is amazing. I never thought he’d even know Rin-rin hates fresh blueberries.

That genuinely surprised me. Rin-rin was a perfectionist. She rarely showed her weaknesses or dislikes to anyone. Even I, who’d known her since middle school, had taken a long time to learn that. And yet Sato-kun, who supposedly had no connection to her at school, pointed it out like it was obvious.

That’s not something you know by coincidence. You only know that if you’ve been close for a long time.

I was sure of it. Between those two lay a thick, deep stretch of time I still couldn’t see. Kazucchi-kun wasn’t just a classmate to Rin-rin. He was a partner she could entrust her soul to. Honestly, a tiny part of me felt lonely. Rin-rin was my best friend in the world. I thought I was the only one who knew how hard it was for her to carry the “angel” mask all by herself. But…

The expression on Rin-rin’s face when she sat next to Kazucchi-kun earlier… It was different from the one she showed me, or Kaito-kun, or any other guy. Her face was more childlike and completely at ease.

I had never seen her look like that before. She really looked happy. Seeing that, my loneliness just vanished. Because right within the place called “school,” Rin-rin had found somewhere she could truly be herself.

“The secret affair(?) behind Rin-rin’s back is over. From now on, the three of us are going to be the best friends ever.”

I relaxed my mouth and put my “angel” smile back on in the mirror. I hadn’t forced the two of them together today just because it sounded fun. I thought it would be such a waste for them to keep pretending to be strangers in such a public place as school. Sharing secrets was thrilling, but I was scared that one day those secrets would become a burden and break what they had.

So I wanted to step in and create a cover story: 『Sato-kun and Shinonome-san got close through Ichinose-san.』 That way, they could talk more naturally at school. Rin-rin could openly have her one true “escape” from her usual mask, Kazucchi-kun.

She might get mad at me for being insensitive. But even so, I wanted to protect her real smile. I wanted to believe in Kazucchi-kun, the one willing to share the weight she carried.

I grabbed my bag and left the powder room.

Alright. My role really started now. To tie together the invisible thread between the two of them—quietly, but firmly, without letting anyone notice.

“I’m back! Hey, don’t you two look cozy? Producer Saki is proud!”

As I returned to the table, I caught a brief moment where their gazes overlapped before quickly darting away. Seeing that distance, I laughed from the bottom of my heart. It was fine. These three would surely become the most fun, slightly complicated, and happiest “friends” in the world.

Wrapped in the sweet scent of pistachio pancakes, I dove headfirst into the lively Sunday that was just beginning.

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