My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 48

Yusuke-kun didn’t greet me.

The reason seems to be that he lost a competition with Tsutsumura, the boy sitting next to me.

I thought, I have to erase him… I have to curse him. Anyone who tries to destroy my happiness with Yusuke must face the appropriate punishment.

But if I wish for someone’s misfortune, it might come back to me. If it leads to Yusuke and me not being together, I wouldn’t know who to blame.

So, I made a decision.

Yusuke thinks that I’m drifting away from him. But that will never happen. No matter how far he tries to distance himself, I’ll keep getting closer.

I can do that. I have enough allies to make it possible. Yusuke says I don’t know the world, but he knows nothing about the things closer to him. He doesn’t even seem to care about what’s happening around him.

Clueless and dense…

Sometimes, his insensitivity frustrates me, but it’s also one of the things I love about him. The way he cares about me makes my heart race.

Yusuke said “last” in a slightly sad voice.

It will never be the last— I won’t let it be.

I should have said that then, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t sure if Yusuke still liked me.

That’s why I’ll make him believe. I won’t leave Yusuke. I’ll probably do something reckless and cause him trouble again. Yusuke might feel uncomfortable.

But, bear with me just a little, okay?

I’ve been enduring the fact that Yusuke doesn’t love me back.

I put on my uniform, wore my glasses, and left the house.

◆◆◆◆

The next day, I stopped in front of the classroom.

The words Yukina said yesterday, “Be prepared,” echo in my mind. I don’t know what she meant by that.

Will I find my desk trashed with no place to sit? Or will there be something written on the blackboard like, “Yusuke Oyama is a pervert who saw Yukina Himemiya naked”? The anxiety crosses my mind.

…Well, Yukina herself said the latter, but I’d like to believe that’s not true. In fact, if it were, I’d be worried about Yukina again.

There’s no point in overthinking. Whatever happens will happen, I thought as I opened the back door.

…Nothing happened!

All the things I had imagined were just wasted thoughts. My desk is fine, and the blackboard is clean. No one even spares a glance at me as if I don’t exist.

On the contrary, there’s a commotion at the front of the classroom. People are gathered around, making noise. Curious, I sit down.

Is Yukina doing something?

A crowd has formed around Yukina. Intrigued, I asked Haru.

“Hey, Haru. What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s Yukina-chan… but you should see for yourself.”

Following his advice, I look at Yukina. Through the gaps in the crowd, I catch a glimpse of her. Yukina is wearing glasses.

“…A makeover?”

“Who knows? She’s been like that since earlier. It must be tough for Yukina-chan too.”

As I strained my ears, I could hear the crowd’s voices around the glasses-wearing Yukina.

“What happened?”

“It suits you!”

“You look cute!”

They shower her with questions regardless of gender, and Yukina replies with a forced smile.

All this fuss just because she wore glasses… Being cute isn’t just a privilege; it comes with its own troubles, I thought, as Yukina noticed me.

I quickly looked down to avoid her gaze. I didn’t need to, but I did it instinctively.

I worried that I might have upset Yukina again, so I tightly shut my mouth.

Then Haru called my name in a trembling voice.

“Y-Yusuke…”

I wondered what was going on, and then I heard a voice from above my head.

“Good morning, Yusuke.”

It was Yukina’s voice.

She was standing right next to me.

Haru and my classmates were all surprised.

Of course, I was shocked too. My mouth hung open, unable to form words.

Seeing me like that, Yukina giggled softly, her cheeks slightly red.

“Hehe, what are you, a koi fish in a pond? Silly.”

That smile was probably genuine. Not the usual forced smile she shows everyone, but a truly joyful smile.

I don’t know how others perceived this moment, but the classroom, which had been buzzing with surprise at Yukina greeting me, suddenly fell silent.

“W-What’s going on, Yukina-chan?”

Nice one, Haru! I thought, as I finally closed my mouth and looked down again.

Most of the class doesn’t know that I lost a bet involving Yukina. Only three people know, and Yukina makes it four. I could just break the promise and greet Yukina back. After all, greeting is something everyone does around the world.

But I couldn’t do it. I’m really pathetic.

“Good morning, Haru-kun. Yusuke didn’t greet me, so I came to do it myself.”

Yukina’s voice was calm and composed. There was no hint of anger. …Does that mean she’s not mad?

Her straightforward words made my chest ache as I tried to figure out what to do. It was just four simple words: “Good morning.” Yet, I couldn’t even manage that, which made me feel like a failure as a person.

Besides, this time, Yukina initiated it. Not me. Which means the promise doesn’t matter. Yeah, that’s right.

I raised my head and opened my mouth.

“Good morning.”

At that moment, did Yukina look happy for a second? Or was it just my imagination?

“Who are you saying that to?”

Huh?

Yukina puffed her cheeks slightly and looked a bit annoyed.

“Y-Yukina-san, of course.”

“Yukina-san? Why not just call me Yukina, like usual?”

Cough, cough!

“W-What!?”

Yukina tilted her head and asked, making me choke on my words. The classmates started buzzing again as if they had been brought back to life.

I bet their heads were filled with questions like, “What’s the real relationship between these two?” And I understood why they would think that.

After all, no one calls Yukina by her first name. I don’t know if anyone does it behind her back.

Haru calls Yukina by her name, but that’s because people think they’re a good match. In reality, they’ve known each other since childhood, but only a few know that. So, people assume it’s just another example of the popular kids calling each other by their first names.

But I don’t fit into any of those categories. So no one would accept that I call her by her first name.

“Hey, Yusuke. Do you notice anything different about me today?”

“…It’s your glasses, right?”

“Yeah. You said you liked them before, so I decided to change things up a bit. How do I look? Do they suit me…?”

Yukina tilted her head slightly, looking a little anxious. Her overly cute gesture, which seemed almost deliberate, made my heart skip a beat.

I’ve seen Yukina in glasses several times, and I’ve never thought they didn’t suit her. In short, glasses are like a weapon for cute girls.

I was too embarrassed to say it out loud in front of everyone, so I just nodded. But Yukina didn’t let me get away.

“Say it properly.”

“…You look good and cute.”

That was all I could manage to say. But Yukina seemed satisfied and smiled.

“Hehe, I’m glad. See you later.”

Yukina returned to her seat.

Suddenly, I felt multiple gazes piercing through me. Jealousy, curiosity… various kinds of stares. I looked down again, wanting to escape them.

Is this what Yukina meant by “prepare yourself”? Was she warning me that I’d become the center of attention in the class?

If that’s the case, I’ll definitely need to be prepared for what’s to come.