I’m a Loner, Gloomy Guy Who Accidentally Witnessed the Moment the Top Girl in the Class Got Dumped. I Didn’t Know What to Say to Comfort Her, So I Just Gave Her a Cola and Somehow We Started Having Lunch Together~ - 31-32

Chapter 31: The True Feelings I Came to Realize

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

As I listened to Takashiro-san talk, the sky had grown dark before I realized it.

“I guess I should head home. Thanks for listening to me this late. I feel a lot better now, thanks to you.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Takashiro-san’s face looked bright and refreshed. She looked like a completely different person from when she had arrived. She was already totally back to her usual self.

“Seeing you so down, Takashiro-san, was really painful for me.”

“—!?”

Takashiro-san abruptly turned her face away. Her profile quickly flushed a deep red.

“W-well, see ya!”

“…Ah, yeah.”

I stood there in a daze, watching Takashiro-san’s back as she fled the room as if running away.

What was that all of a sudden? Come to think of it, something similar had happened before. It was when Hina had come to this room for the first time in almost three years. Back then, I must have stepped on some kind of land mine. Hina had gotten angry and suddenly left.

Could this be the same pattern again? It didn’t really feel like that, though…

She had suddenly left, just like before, but it didn’t seem like she was angry because I had upset her. It was probably because of a different reason then.

“…Even so…”

I felt like the reason was different, but I had no idea what it actually was. In the end, the conclusion I reached was the same as back then.

＊＊＊＊＊＊

Karin’s heart was pounding so hard as she walked home that it felt like it might burst at any moment. Even though more than ten minutes had already passed since she left Masaki’s house, heat still lingered in her cheeks. Her whole body felt so hot it was almost like she might get burned.

“What’s wrong with me…?!”

Masaki’s words at the very end had done this to her. A burning feeling welled up from deep within her heart. Masaki was kind, and he always listened to her sincerely. And talking with him, or reading manga together, had been fun. Being with him had felt incredibly comfortable.

That was why, when the date plan was finished—when it had ended up finished—the feeling Karin had wasn’t joy or a sense of accomplishment. She was feeling something completely different: loneliness.

She wouldn’t be able to go to Masaki’s house after school anymore. They wouldn’t be able to chat about stupid things, laugh together, or read manga. Those fun days would come to an end. That loneliness was unbearable. She hated it. It had been the same back then, too.

When she invited Touma out on a date and got a yes, her heart had felt clouded. It should have been a moment to rejoice, yet she hadn’t felt nearly as excited as she herself expected. That was because Masaki had been on her mind. If things went well with Touma, her relationship with Masaki would end. Thinking that made her heart sink, and she couldn’t fully feel happy.

She probably had been drawn to him from very early on. But because her feelings for Touma had also been real, she hadn’t been able to notice. She had unconsciously sealed those feelings away. But now, she finally understood. She was holding feelings so hot they felt like they could burn her… Her feelings for Masaki.

“…I see. I’m in love with Masa.”

When she spoke her true feelings out loud, her face naturally softened into a smile. Having those suppressed emotions released all at once made her feel refreshed and good. Still, it was also a little embarrassing.

She was probably making a terribly foolish-looking face right now. She was genuinely glad Masaki wasn’t here. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

“But… Confessing like this probably won’t work, huh…”

Masaki surely only saw her as a friend. If she confessed with their relationship just as it was now, the chances of success would be low. And if she confessed right after being rejected by another guy, he might think she was a shallow woman.

So first, she needed to start by getting him to see her as a romantic interest. When it came to love, preparation and caution like this were important. She had learned all of that from Masaki himself.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Chapter 32: The Distance Between Friends

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The next day. Takashiro-san and I were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed in my room.

“Sorry for barging in on you all of a sudden. Am I being a nuisance?”

“Not at all. We’re friends, right? You don’t need to hold back, and you can come hang out anytime from now on.”

She looked like she had felt refreshed after venting all her complaints yesterday, but there were probably still parts of it she was holding onto. Emotions weren’t something you could just neatly sort out that easily. That was probably why she had come here again today.

There was only one person on this planet that Takashiro-san could vent to like this. Me, the only one who knew the situation. If that was the case, then I would stay with her as long as it took, as many times as it took, until she felt better. Because we were friends.

Still, I never would have imagined that I’d end up in a relationship like this with Takashiro-san, who I used to be terrible with. Feeling oddly sentimental, I nodded to myself over and over.

“…Masa. You’re really kind, you know that?”

Takashiro-san suddenly said that and looked straight at me. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were half-lidded, melting with heat. The girl sitting there was neither a delinquent nor a maiden. This was the first time I had ever seen Takashiro-san like this. To put it bluntly, she was incredibly erotic.

I mean, come on, what was I supposed to do? If a drop-dead gorgeous woman looked at you like that, anyone would think the same thing, right? Honestly, I felt like not thinking it would be more rude. Yeah….

What the hell was I thinking?! She was an important friend. Thinking things like that about a friend was absolutely wrong. If she found out, she might be totally creeped out and cut ties with me. After finally becoming friends, I didn’t want that to happen.

Trying desperately to chase those improper desires out of my head, I shook my head as hard as I could.

“S-s-so! Wanna read some manga?!”

To change the mood, I sprang into action. Anything was fine right now. I just needed something to change.

“I’ll go grab some—whoa?!”

As I tried to stand up, Takashiro-san suddenly grabbed my arm tightly with both hands. I could only gape in shock at the sudden move.

“Masa… What do you think of me?”

“W-what do I think—erotic—no, a friend! I think you’re a friend! An important friend, of course!”

I was so flustered that I almost blurted out exactly what was on my mind. That was close. Way too close. Barely safe. Maybe my answer gave her something to think about, because Takashiro-san lowered her face. But just as quickly, she lifted it again.

“What if… You know…”

Takashiro-san leaned forward and moved her face in close. The distance between us shrank until I could hear her breathing. My heart leapt into overdrive. My cheeks burned as if they were on fire. I felt like I was about to lose it.

This wasn’t the distance between friends anymore. This was… Yes. The distance between lovers. This was wrong. I should pull away right now. I understood that perfectly in my head. But as if I’d been put under a spell, my body wouldn’t move. The two green eyes Takashiro-san was directing straight at me wouldn’t allow it.

“Just hypothetically… If we took a step beyond being friends—”

Before she could finish her sentence, BANG. I heard the sound of the door opening.

“Karin-chan…? Huh, why…?”

“What exactly is going on here? You’re going to give me a proper explanation I can accept, aren’t you, Masaki?”

The ones who had entered the room were Amamiya-san and Hina. The looks they directed at Takashiro-san and me, who were staring at each other from point-blank range on the bed, were filled with utter shock.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー