My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason

Nishiguchi…The name is familiar, and I know the person well.

Honestly, before Yukina mentioned her, I had completely forgotten about her existence.

Nishiguchi Eri. She was the one who came between Yukina and me, taking Yukina’s place by my side.

To me, she was just a girl I hadn’t even remembered until recently. After hearing about her from Yukina, I felt a bit of resentment, but ultimately, she didn’t matter much to me.

However, for Yukina, she must be someone she never wants to see again. She was used, discarded after being seen as a friend, and then driven apart from me.

Of course, Yukina wouldn’t want to see her.

Nishiguchi stared at us from a distance.

She still looked cute, as always. Maybe it’s because of the makeup, but she seemed even more polished than before.

Even so, Yukina is cuter.

No matter what anyone says, I won’t back down on that.

As soon as our eyes met, Nishiguchi made a disgusted face.

“Hey, who are those two?”

“They’re classmates from junior high.”

Apparently, Nishiguchi hadn’t expected to see me here, so she awkwardly answered the question from the girl beside her.

Meanwhile, Yukina hid behind me.

She clung to my back, trembling slightly.

It wasn’t fear, though.

It was just that Yukina really didn’t want to see her, and that discomfort was making her shake.

Nishiguchi, noticing Yukina’s behavior, let out a long sigh. In response, Yukina flinched.

“You two are still so clingy.”

“Still…? Was it like this before?”

“Yeah, they’re childhood friends, but they were always in their own little world together. It was super gross.”

“I see…”

It’s true that Yukina and I were always together. Maybe from the outside, it did seem like we were in our own world, making it hard for others to approach.

But there’s no reason to call it gross. We didn’t do anything wrong, just spent time together.

“Especially the girl, she was always glued to him, like she didn’t want any other girls to get close. It was suffocating, like she was saying ‘He’s mine!’ So gross.”

“Hey!”

I didn’t care what people said about me. I was used to it. But I couldn’t let them talk about Yukina like that.

…And I couldn’t stand that Yukina looked like she was going to cry. Before I knew it, I was shouting.

Startled, Nishiguchi flinched for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and glared at me sharply.

“What?”

“What exactly is so gross about Yukina?”

“I already told you. She stuck to you like a parasite.”

“To me, someone who pretends to be a friend and then betrays others is far more disgusting. And by the way, are you the type who just stares at someone you like from afar?”

“I-I didn’t say that!”

“Yes, you did. Isn’t it normal to want to get closer to someone you like?”

“…Ugh, and now you’re defending her again. It’s really gross. You’re not even dating her, but all you do is talk about Yukina! I’ll tell you, Yusuke, people think you’re gross, too!”

“Oh, really? I don’t care what anyone thinks. And of course, I’ll defend Yukina. Because we’re—”

I grabbed Yukina’s hand and pulled her next to me. Then, I intertwined our fingers, showing Nishiguchi what could only be described as a lovers’ clasp.

“—already like this.”

With someone like Nishiguchi, actions speak louder than words. This way, she couldn’t claim I was lying.

…Sorry, Yukina, but I need you to put up with this. She’s trying to pull away, but I’m holding on tight.

“…Fine, stay clingy together forever!”

Nishiguchi spat out those words and stormed off.

“What the heck was that? Was she holding in her bathroom needs or something?”

I muttered while watching the two girls chase after Nishiguchi. Suddenly, I felt a strange look from the side. It was Yukina, giving me a side-eye.

“What’s up?”

“Yuu-kun…You’re amazing.”

“Huh? How?”

Sigh “Can we talk for a bit? And…please let go of my hand.”

Yukina seemed exasperated but said it anyway, so I did as she asked.

“Yuu-kun, I don’t know if you remember, but that girl liked you, you know?”

For some reason, Yukina started scolding me on a bench in a nearby park. I didn’t understand.

“Yeah, I remember you telling me that…So what?”

“I really don’t want to say this, but I think she was jealous of me.”

“Of you?”

“Just a guess from me, your childhood friend. Don’t you remember?”

I thought back. Yukina had drifted away, and Nishiguchi had gotten closer. Still, my eyes, my mind, and my heart kept chasing after Yukina.

“Now that you mention it, it does kinda feel that way.”

“She probably got mad earlier because she felt like she lost to me. Not that we were in any kind of competition.”

“Still, she never confessed to me, and didn’t she date some good-looking guy? She’s totally self-centered…Well, she was always like that.”

“I’m sure she got fed up with you. I didn’t mind, though.”

“In the end, I guess it’s always been just you I care about, Yukina.”

When I let those words slip, Yukina suddenly froze. She had been looking away, but now she turned to face me, blushing and fidgeting.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yuu-kun…are you really Yuu-kun? You’re not some doppelgänger, right? You’re really Yusuke Oyama, right?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then, what’s going on with you lately!? Did you eat something weird off the ground!?”

“C-calm down, Yukina. I’m completely normal.”

“Then why are you doing things that confuse me?”

“Confuse?”

“Hugging me, kissing me! I’m happy, but I don’t know how to react! Just thinking about it makes me so embarrassed that I can’t even look at you properly!”

Yukina, her face bright red, spoke rapidly as if she needed to vent. But I understood it wasn’t anger, just embarrassment.

“It’s because I like you, Yukina.”

“Ugh! That’s what’s troubling me! I’m the only one getting flustered while you stay calm!”

“I-I get flustered, too! I get nervous, embarrassed…and I blush.”

“Liar!”

“I’m not lying!”

I’ve always felt all sorts of things for Yukina. There’s no way I could stay calm and composed. I’ve just been doing my best to keep things as they’ve always been.

“R-really?”

“Really.”

“Then…let me check…”

Yukina closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She stayed still as if waiting for something.

It was obvious what she was waiting for.

So, I gently placed my hand on her soft, chubby cheek and leaned in—

“Kiss! They’re gonna kiss!”

A voice interrupted us.

Startled, we both turned toward the sound, and there stood a little girl, squealing excitedly as she watched us.

Suddenly, we both felt incredibly embarrassed and immediately put some distance between ourselves.

“Aren’t you gonna kiss? Aren’t you?”

“N-no, we’re not. So go home. Be a good girl and go home.”