I Was Reincarnated As a Man who Steals The Protagonist’s Childhood Friend - 7 - A Sudden Declaration

“Could you please stay away from her?”

Naoki’s words struck me with unexpected force, as if he had made a sudden declaration that left me momentarily taken aback. My brain was processing it slowly as I worked to understand the true meaning of what he said.

“Uh, what do you mean?” I stammered, my voice betraying my confusion.

Naoki inhaled deeply and started to explain, his voice a mix of worry and annoyance. “It’s been bothering me that you and Hoshino have been getting closer over the past few days, before I got sick.”

I would love to tell him that I don’t really remember what I did for the past few days and that this Takeshi standing in front of him is not the same Takeshi that he knew prior. I literally got transported here in this world not so long ago, but I remained silent because, who would ever believe such a crazy story? I’m pretty sure he would label me as having a screw loose in my head.

“I love her, Takeshi-san,” Naoki continued, his voice wavering with a mix of vulnerability and longing. “I’ve loved her for a long time. But she only sees me as a little brother. Still, just being by her side makes me happy. But seeing her with another guy, it pains me.”

As I tried to process his statement, my thoughts raced. The doujin had made it clear that Naoki had strong affections for Hoshino, something I already knew about, but seeing him say it out loud left me speechless. My face was painted with a mixture of shock and amazement.

“Uh-huh,” I managed to utter, my mind still grappling with the weight of his confession.

“I don’t want to see her with another guy, especially you, Takeshi-san. Lately, I’ve noticed you two have been getting closer,” Naoki confessed, his voice laced with a blend of vulnerability and possessiveness.

Absorbing his words, I couldn’t help but think about how intense our conversation had been. I thought on my part in all of this after this unexpected turn of events.

“Sheesh buddy, you really love her huh?” I responded, attempting to ease the tension. “I have no intention of taking her away from you so you don’t need to worry about that. Besides…”

Placing a comforting hand on Naoki’s shoulder, I offered a reassuring gesture. “I genuinely wish you the best of luck in confessing your feelings to her.”

With those words that I said, a wave of heavy emotions washed over me once again. It wasn’t exactly my own feelings, but rather the emotions of the body I found myself in.

“Thank you for understanding, Takeshi-san,” Naoki expressed his gratitude, his voice tinged with a sense of relief.

With our conversation drawing to a close, we concluded our purchases at the store. My gaze scanned the surroundings, searching for Hoshino, who was still engrossed in selecting sweets. However, I couldn’t ignore the peculiar expression on her face—an unmistakable darkness that cast a shadow over her features.

“Hey, Hoshi—uh, Nakano-san, let’s get going.” I called out to her, consciously avoiding the use of her first name. Naoki’s presence made me cautious, desiring to avoid any misunderstandings about the nature of our relationship.

“Oh, I’m coming!” she replied, her voice feeling as if it were a bit distracted.

We continued our journey towards school, and after a few minutes, the familiar sight of our school came into view. As we were getting near, Naoki took hold of Hoshino’s hand without any notice and they walked ahead, leaving me behind.

“I’ll catch up with you guys.” I called out, but deep down, I felt a reluctance to join them in the classroom. As I paused at the school gates, someone suddenly embraced me from the side.

“Hey, bro, what’s up?” It was Natsu, my friend.

“I noticed you were with those two. Looks like you got ditched.” he remarked with a teasing tone.

“Shut up. We just happened to bump into each other on the way here,” I replied, trying to dismiss any significance.

“Poor Takeshi. Shall I wipe away your tears?” Natsu continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“One more word, and you won’t see any daylight.”

“Come on, you two. It’s still morning, and you’re being way too noisy,” a familiar feminine voice chimed in as Natsu and I were engaged in conversation. It was Suzuki Airi, Natsu’s girlfriend.

Airi had a cascade of long, silky hair that fluttered gracefully whenever she walked. Though she was slightly shorter than me, she stood at the same height as Natsu. Up close, I couldn’t help but notice her natural beauty, reminiscent of Hoshino’s. Natsu was indeed a lucky guy to have someone like her by his side.

“You really should keep your boyfriend in check, Airi. He always manages to get under my skin. Is being annoying one of his special talents?” I quipped, unable to hold back my playful banter.

“Oh, come on. Don’t say that!” Natsu protested, his voice tinged with concern.

Airi responded with a mischievous smile. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson later, Takeshi.”

Natsu’s eyes widened in surprise as he retorted, “Wait, not you too, Airi!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, appreciating the playful camaraderie between Natsu and his girlfriend. “Thanks in advance,” I replied, my words filled with gratitude.

As the three of us continued our lighthearted banter, we made our way inside the school, arriving at the shoe lockers.

“Well then, we’ll be parting ways here. I’ll see you later, Takeshi-kun, Natsu-kun,” Airi said, her tone filled with sweetness.

“See you later, Airi-san!” Natsu responded, his voice brimming with happiness.

After what felt like an eternity, the clock finally struck noon, marking the arrival of lunchtime. My stomach grumbled in anticipation as I glanced over at the spot where Hoshino had been sitting just moments ago. To no surprise, she was there, enjoying her midday meal in the company of Naoki. They sat side by side, contentedly munching away from their neatly packed lunch boxes.

As I observed this scene, my friend Natsu called out to me, interrupting my gaze.

“Hey, bro! How about grabbing lunch together?” he asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his proposal. “With your girlfriend?” I questioned, my curiosity piqued.

Natsu nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! It’ll be fun, the more, the merrier!”

As I considered the guy’s offer, I couldn’t deny that he could be a bit dense and annoying at times. However, the thought of having some company compelled me to set aside my reservations and give it a shot. After all, a little companionship wouldn’t hurt.

With a deep sigh escaping my lips, I finally gave in and said, “Fine, I’ll join you.” It dawned on me that having someone by my side might not be such a bad thing after all.

“Nice! Then, follow me,” Natsu exclaimed, leading the way with an infectious enthusiasm that sparked a glimmer of excitement within me.

We navigated our way to an open space where the baseball club was engrossed in their practice. As we approached, my eyes landed on a familiar figure seated on one of the benches near the court. It was Airi, patiently waiting for our arrival.

“Hey there, Airi! Sorry for keeping you waiting!” Natsu called out, his voice tinged with a hint of apology.

Airi looked up at Natsu and greeted him with a warm smile. “No worries. I just got here.”

The three of us settled down on the long bench, making ourselves comfortable. Natsu and Airi began to unbox their lunch boxes, the enticing aroma of their meals wafting through the air. Meanwhile, I found myself without any lunch box, unfortunately. Unless I managed to get groceries later, no lunches for me in the upcoming days. Wait, do I even have my own lunch box? I guess I’ll go search for it in my place later.

As Natsu and Airi talked with each and started indulging in their lunches, Airi glanced at me with a trace of confusion in her eyes. “Where’s your lunch, Takeshi?”

I let out a sheepish chuckle, revealing my meager triangular-shaped snack. “Well, this is what I have,” I replied, pointing at my supposedly ‘lunch’. It was supposed to be my breakfast, but I have lost my appetite a while ago.

Airi looks at me with  sympathetic eyes. “Oh no, that won’t do.”

I raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“Natsu, share half of your lunch with Takeshi. And I’ll share mine too,” Airi called Natsu and suggested something unbelievable.

“Oh, come on, you don’t have to do that,” I protested. Having the sandwich is enough for me.

“No, I insist. Now, come here. Natsu, hand me your lunch,” Airi insisted, her voice carrying an unwavering tone.

“Sure thing! All for our poor little Takeshi!” Natsu exclaimed playfully, passing his quarter-eaten lunch to Airi.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude as Airi presented me with the improvised meal. “Man, I could have declined your offer, but since you went through the trouble of doing this for me, I can’t say no to that.”

With the extra pair of chopsticks that Airi had somehow acquired, I eagerly began to savor the flavors of the combined lunch. Where did she manage to find those extra chopsticks? I wondered, impressed by her resourcefulness.

“Mhmmm, this is really good,” I exclaimed, turning to Airi to express my appreciation.

“I’m glad you like it. I enjoy making lunch for Natsu, and it’s nice to share it with you too.” Airi beamed with satisfaction.

“Oh, you have no idea! Airi’s cooking is absolutely amazing. I can’t get enough of it!” Natsu, unable to resist boasting, chimed in, 

“You don’t have to brag about your girlfriend’s cooking to me so loudly, Natsu.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes playfully.

Caught off guard by Natsu’s comment, Airi’s face flushed with a shade of crimson, clearly embarrassed by his enthusiastic endorsement.

“Shut it, you dummy Natsu,” she retorted, trying to hide her bashfulness.

I couldn’t help but smile at their humorous banter, and I was unable to contain my laughter. Witnessing the humorous exchanges between these two was endearing in some way. I got the impression that their cheery friendship had engulfed me, erasing any memory of my earlier hesitation to join them.

As we continued to enjoy our meal together, surrounded by the vibrant energy of the baseball club’s practice, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn of events that had led me to this moment. But the dark emotions that I felt earlier is still lingering inside of me, but I’ll do my best to fully ignore it, hopefully it’ll just go away soon.