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 - 56

Chapter 56: At This Rate…

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One week later, Monday after school.

July’s heat lingered in every corner of the hallway, and from outside the windows came the faint cries of impatient cicadas. Today again, I dodged Ichinose-san’s sharp stares and Kaito’s probing questions, walking briskly down the hall, trying to get home as quickly as possible.

…I want to get home and log in. …I want to hear Haru’s voice through the screen.

While I was at school, just seeing Shinonome-san still triggered flashbacks of that sealed internet café room. Since then, our conversations had gradually increased, and during Eternal Legend voice chats, we continued interacting as the usual “Kazu” and “Haru.” But unlike before, the time we used to spend talking about private things after the game ended had disappeared. In my current situation, voice chat had become the only “shelter” where I could laugh with her as an equal.

Taking a shortcut, I stepped onto the narrow path behind the gymnasium where few people passed. But just as I reached the corner, a familiar voice struck my ears, and I reflexively hid in the shadow of the wall.

“—So, I’m sorry. I’m happy about your feelings, but I can’t accept them.”

Clear and dignified, yet somewhat businesslike. It was Shinonome-san’s voice. Peeking around the corner, I saw her in her uniform facing a boy from another class. A familiar face, if I remembered correctly, this boy was rumored to be the baseball team’s next ace and a good-looking guy.

“…I figured. I suppose I really can’t? Do you already like someone else, Shinonome-san?”

“… …It’s not like that. It’s just that right now, I have my club activities and… …a ‘place’ I want to cherish.”

She answered quietly, placing a hand over her chest.

“I see… …I can’t quite give up on you, but I’ll head home for today,” the boy said, shoulders slumped, before walking off in the opposite direction.

Left alone, Shinonome-san let out a deep sigh. She looked at her right hand, opening and closing her fingers a few times before lifting the corners of her mouth in a lonely smile.mThat expression wasn’t Haru’s face when she was with me. Yet it was painfully mature, as though she was enduring something.

Careful not to let her notice me, I quietly left the scene. My heart kept beating in an unpleasant rhythm.

…A place she wants to cherish.

It wasn’t arrogance to think that meant the time she spent with me as her “online game partner.” But the scene I had just witnessed wouldn’t leave my mind. Today was fine because she turned him down. But there was no guarantee that tomorrow, or the day after, would be the same. There were countless guys who wanted her like that.

And compared to them, what was I?

“Best friend.” “Partner.”

Wasn’t I just hiding behind those words, indulging myself? If the two of us right now were standing on the fragile footing of being “just gaming buddies,” wouldn’t someone more worthy someday take her away to the true “front-row seat”?

…………… Damn it.

An indescribable impatience swirled darkly in the depths of my chest.

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“—I’m home.”

By the time I arrived, even I could tell how exhausted my face looked. Futaba, still in her school gym clothes and eating ice cream on the living room sofa, grimaced the moment she saw me.

“…Onii, what’s with that face? You look like a dried-up slug. …Gross.”

“………… Leave me alone. …Even slugs have worries.”

I answered weakly and tried to head to my room.

…But Futaba kept watching me in silence and stopped her spoon midair.

“…Onii. …Did something happen?”

“…Huh?”

“…Normally you’d snap back with something like, ‘Yeah yeah, this slug’s crawling away~,’ but today you’re weirdly obedient. …What? Did the goddess (Shinonome-san) finally hand you divorce papers?”

“I didn’t get handed anything!! We’re not even married! And where did you even learn that phrase?”

“Your voice is too loud. …Whatever. If you sit in front of your PC with that unhealthy face, some ominous aura’s going to leak out of your room. …Here, sit. …I might listen to you.”

Futaba averted her eyes slightly and patted the sofa beside her.

…

She was usually in full rebellious mode, but her instincts at times like this were freakishly sharp. Hesitating, I sat down on the edge of the sofa.

“…It’s not about me. …It’s about a friend.”

“Classic. …Fine. What happened to this so-called ‘friend’?”

I desperately wrapped the situation in as many layers as possible and told her. That my “friend” had a very close “female friend.” That they shared hobbies and had been the best partners for three years. But recently, he saw her being confessed to by a guy from another class.

“…That ‘friend,’ you see… He probably doesn’t want to ruin the current ‘best friends’ relationship. But when he saw her getting confessed to, he felt like… This status quo can’t continue. Like… maybe someone’s going to take her away.”

After I finished, Futaba kept the ice cream stick in her mouth and stared at the ceiling for a while.

“…Onii. …Is that ‘friend’ an idiot?”

“……!? An idiot…?”

“Yeah, an idiot. …Clinging to an ambiguous relationship like ‘best friends’ is just another form of running away from reality, right? He’s afraid of getting hurt, so he won’t take a step forward. But he still wants her to stay by his side. …He’s just being selfish.”

Futaba tossed the ice cream stick into the trash and stared straight at the wall behind me.

“Listen. For a girl, that ‘best friend’ spot is the closest and the farthest place at the same time. …If he doesn’t want someone to take her, then he needs to block off that escape route called ‘best friend’ himself. The girl’s probably waiting too. …Not for just any ‘special someone.’ …But for the resolve that only that ‘friend’ can have.”

“………………”

Her words pierced my heart with the precision of a sharp knife. She was right.

I didn’t want to get hurt. I had been hiding in the safe place called “Haru’s partner” the whole time. But..

That day on the rooftop, Shinonome-san—no, Haru—reached out to me with trembling hands. In the internet café, she rested her head against my chest.

She had already made her resolve and stepped into my territory. The one who had been running away was me.

“…Futaba. …Thanks.”

“…It’s nothing. …I just don’t want to see a cute girl make a face like she’s about to cry. …If the goddess is unhappy, then this household will become unhappy as well.”

She said that and picked up her phone again. I stood up quietly and headed to my room. It felt like the fog inside my heart had cleared just a little. Pretending to be “Sato-kun” and “Shinonome-san” was over. As “Kazu” and “Haru,” I would bring her out into the real light. Taking that step was scary. But compared to the despair of losing her to someone else, it wasn’t even as reckless as challenging the final boss with starter gear.

“—Onii. One last thing.”

Just as I was about to open my door, Futaba called out from behind me.

“…What?”

“…Do your best, Onii.”

“…Yeah. …But I told you, it’s about my friend—”

“…It’s totally obvious, you idiot. …Go clean your room. …Shinonome-san might come over again.”

“…………!!”

My face nearly boiled over as I fled into my room. It had been totally obvious. And yet, strangely enough, it didn’t feel bad.

The dragon sticker on the back of my smartphone sat on my desk. I traced it with my fingertip and let out a long, deep breath. This time, to burn away the absolution called “best friend” with my own hands….

I stared back at the monitor waiting for tonight’s login with stronger eyes than ever before.

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