I’m Betrayed by My Childhood Friend Who is Also My Lover, but My Other Childhood Friend Healed Me, So I Feel Like I Can Recover and Be Happy ~Is it True That Friendship Between a Man and Woman is Impossible? - Chapter 27

My Dear Friend

Not long after I sent a message to Airi, I got a call from her.

She said that she has talked to Chitose.

Since we both have something we want to discuss, we decided to meet up at my place.

I arrive home first and wait for Airi to come.

As usual, the intercom rings, and Airi enters the living room shortly after.

She has a sad expression on her face.

Her eyes seem red.

“Airi, are you okay?”

I ask out of concern.

“Yeah…I talked to Chitose.”

“I’ve taken care of everything on my end. That scumbag is finished…but Chitose might…”

“I know. I don’t want to see Chitose end up like that…it’s all because of me…”

“No, it’s absolutely not your fault. The scumbag is the one at fault.”

“I created the opportunity for him to take advantage of Chitose. Even though we are best friends, I couldn’t understand Chitose’s feelings at all.”

“If you say that, then I, who couldn’t protect Chitose in the first place when we were dating, am far worse.”

It seems both me and Airi still have lingering feelings towards Chitose.

Both of us feel guilty for not being able to save and protect Chitose.

“We…lost her.”

Airi is not looking at me as she says so, instead she is staring into the distance.

“Yeah.”

I reply so.

Memories of Chitose flashes before me as I close my eyes.

“Why did it have to turn out like this?”

When Airi says so various regrets come to mind.

‘If only I had done this. If only I had done that.’

Seeing Airi who has been trying her best to help Chitose to reconcile with me ends up hurting, my heart aches.

“However, I know one thing for sure, Airi, it’s not your fault. You just got caught up in the mess between Chitose and me.”

“That’s not true. Chitose is right, I’m pretending to be Akito’s friend when I actually like you more than just a friend.”

I’m taken aback by Airi’s words.

“I also pretended not to notice it when I was dating Chitose…”

Until I saw Chitose in that park…

“I see…so Chitose was paying a close attention to us after all.”

“What do you mean?”

Airi tells me everything that she talked about with Chitose earlier.

“I see, Chitose said something like that…I’m sorry for putting you in such a tough spot.”

“It’s okay, it’s my fault…I unknowingly cornered Chitose.”

“I told you, it’s not your fault, Airi. If you say that, then I’m also at fault for giving Chitose false hope.”

It’s my fault for showing half-hearted kindness.

“Then, it seems both of us are at fault.”

I nod, hoping to alleviate Airi’s guilt, even it’s just a little.

After all, Airi mustn’t bear everything on her own.

“That’s true, but ultimately, it’s Chitose’s choice that matters the most. So, as harsh as it may sounds, from now on, Chitose will have to overcome this on her own.”

As Airi said, while both me and Airi might be partly at fault for creating this situation, in the end, it’s Chitose’s own decision that matters.

She couldn’t face me properly, didn’t trust Airi, and falling for the sweet talk of that scumbag.

In the end, Chitose took the easy way out.

“Even if we were to offer our hands again at this point, it would just be repeating the same thing until she can stand up on her own.”

“I told Chitose the same thing.”

“I see, thank you.”

Airi said what I needed to say in my behalf.

“Why is it that even though we were so close, I couldn’t understand Chitose’s feelings at all? It’s really painful.”

“Yeah, it feels like we kept misunderstanding each other.”

All the feelings Chitose has shown can’t be lies, but still, she walked down the wrong path in the end…

I just hope that Chitose can face this properly and move forward, looking ahead on her own.

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It’s been a year since that scumbag got kicked out of school and Chitose transferred due to her parents’ divorce.

Now that we’re in our second year of high school, my relationship with Airi remains the same.

We’re in an awkward stage, more than friends but less than lovers.

Today, we’re having a leisurely lunch at my house.

Airi prepared most of it. Being spoiled and pampered like this makes me feel like I’m becoming more and more useless.

Of course, Airi is still the closest and most important person to me.

However, whenever I try to talk about us being lovers, she tends to evade it.

With everything that happened with my dad and Chitose, Airi still seems to feel a sense of guilt towards me.

At the same time, I can’t help but feel pathetic for causing her to feel that way.

Tomorrow, my mom is returning to Japan after a long time abroad.

That’s why, I’m determined to make our relationship clear today.

I want to tell Mom about our relationship tomorrow.

With that thought in mind, amidst our casual conversation, we start talking about Kouta who recently started dating a girl.

Kouta and his girlfriend apparently met when investigating that scumbag, and it turns out that her older sister was one of the scumbag’s victims.

It turns out that scumbag was involved in some borderline criminal activities behind the scenes.

All of the scumbag’s wrongdoings got out, especially the incident involving Chitose.

Due to that reason, he was expelled from school.

After that, from what I heard from Kouta, it seems that he tried to lay a hand on the daughter of someone he shouldn’t have messed with.

It’s unlikely we’ll ever run into him again.

At first, Kouta used to say things like,

‘A detective should be hard-boiled and doesn’t need a girlfriend. At most, I’ll be friends with her!’

But now, he’s completely head over heels with his girlfriend and turned into a soft-boiled egg under his girlfriend’s control.

Then, Airi vaguely continues with a smile on her face.

“Does that mean a true friendship between a man and a woman can’t be established?”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true. After all, I consider Airi my best friend.”

I answer Airi’s words somewhat vaguely as well.

“Eh?”

Airi looks sad for a moment.

I think I know what Airi’s intention is, so I continue.

“Why do you look sad?”

“That’s, um…”

“Sorry, that was mean of me. However, in my case, there is more than affection in our relationship.”

I don’t want Airi to evade this topic again, so I look deep into her eyes.

“Is that so…”

Airi seems happy when I say so, but there’s still a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Perhaps, Airi is struggling to sort out her feelings.

But for me, this is a chance.

This is an opportunity to finally tell her my true feelings that I’ve been keeping vague for so long

“I love you, Airi. More than just as a friend. I want to cherish you as my girlfriend. I want us to be together as lovers, supporting each other.”

Airi’s eyes glisten with tears at my words, but she is hesitating to take the step forward.

“Akito, I’m really happy to hear that…I love you…I love you so much…but…but I…”

I shut down Airi’s words of denial with a kiss.

I gently embrace her delicate body and softly kiss her lips.

Tears are welling up in Airi’s eyes and start to stream down her cheeks.

“That’s unfair.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll do anything to be with you, Airi.”

“I know.”

“Well, can I get an answer then?”

We look at each other without averting our gazes.

Airi, with tears in her eyes, smiles.

“If it’s okay for you to be with someone like me, please take a good care of me.”

“It’s not just someone like you, it has to be you, Airi.”

Upon hearing my words, Airi hugs me tightly.

“Akito, Akito, Akito…I love you, I love you so much. I won’t hold back anymore, I won’t hold myself back from loving you anymore.”

Saying so, Airi kisses me this time.

It’s a soft and gentle kiss, yet it fills my heart immensely.

Suddenly, my eyes meet the photo of my father displayed on the living room shelf.

His smile seems to bless us.

When I was betrayed by my cherished childhood friend who was also my girlfriend, Airi has always been there to comfort me as a best friend, and now, as a lover, she will continue to be by my side.

As long as I have Airi, I feel like I can be happy no matter what happens…

“Akito, I love you…”

“Yeah, I love you too, Airi…”