My Childhood Friend Who is My Girlfriend was Stolen by My Best Friend. From Now on, I'll Flirt with My Ex-Best Friend's Little Sister! - Chapter 14

The Persistent Childhood Friend

“What was that…Toshi-kun?”

My childhood friend is trembling uncontrollably.

She immediately run up to me and speak with a sense of urgency.

“What was that just now…that was Rin-chan, right!? Why did you kiss Rin-chan? What’s going on, Toshi-kun!?”

She grips my uniform so tightly that it wrinkles as she presses me for answers.

I let out a small sigh.

“Why are you here?”

“I-I’m the one asking questions first!”

“It’s none of Tsukimiya-san’s business.”

“S-Stop calling me that! Call me Airi like you always do!”

Tears well up in her eyes. It looks like she’s about to cry.

Looking closely, I notice that the area under her eyelids is red. It’s clear that she has already been crying.

“I’ve told you, haven’t I? We should end this for good…can you just not get involved with me any further?”

“…no, I don’t want to…why do you have to say such cruel things…?”

“I didn’t want to say it either, but you’re the one who caused all this.”

“N-No! I didn’t cheat on you! I didn’t…Toshi-kun must have had some bad dream.”

She’s still insisting that she didn’t cheat on me.

I’m starting to get sick of her.

“Enough already.”

“I-I’ll forgive you. I’ll pretend I didn’t see what Rin-chan did just now! So, Toshi-kun, forget about that bad dream. Let’s start all over again.”

What is she talking about? I don’t understand her anymore.

Does she really think an excuse like a bad dream will work?

“I have no intention of starting over with you. It’s all too late now.”

“No! I don’t want that! Please…kiss me too…”

“Huh? What are you talking about? You were the one who told me that it was too early for us to kiss in the first place.”

“I was just waiting for the right moment! It’s almost my birthday…so I wanted to do it as a commemoration.”

At least she has her own reasons.

However, she just kissed that guy so casually, so what’s the point in commemorating her birthday with a kiss with me?

“Anyway, I have no intention of getting involved with Tsukimiya-san anymore. Please don’t talk to me.”

“…why? No…I don’t want that! Reply to my messages, at least read them…”

“I blocked you, so I can’t do that.”

“Why…that’s just so cruel…”

She breaks down in tears.

The sorrowful tone of her voice conveys her heartfelt feelings.

But still, I won’t show her any mercy.

No matter how sad she must be feeling right now, I have no intention of offering her any kind words.

“Actually, who’s the cruel one here?”

“Eh?”

“That’s enough. It’s a waste of time to talk to you.”

“T-Toshi-kun!”

I shake off my childhood friend’s hand and start walking towards my house. But even so, she stubbornly follows me.

“Can you just go home?”

“No! I’m going to Toshi-kun’s house too!”

“Just how selfish can you be…? I’ve already gotten over you. I don’t even hate you anymore.”

I no longer care about her.

I don’t even hold any resentment towards her anymore.

“That’s why, from now on, don’t get involved with me ever again.”

The moment I say so, my childhood friend stops in her tracks. She just stands there in shock. Eventually, as if being dragged by gravity, her hips slumps to the ground.

Without even looking back at her, I head back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just returned home and is working on my math homework.

Suddenly—

Ding dong.

A familiar mechanical sound echoes throughout the room.

It’s almost 9 PM. I reluctantly get up and walk towards the intercom.

The apartment I live in still lacks many amenities. Because of this, I can’t see the visitor’s face through the intercom, I can only respond to their voice.

“Yes. Who is it?”

‘Ah, Toshi-kun. It’s me.’

“…I told you not to get involved with me any longer.”

‘I just want to talk to you properly, Toshi-kun. Can you let me in?’

“I have nothing to talk about anymore. Go home.”

‘I’ll wait until you open the door. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.’

I walk away from the intercom.

There is no point in continuing the conversation.

It’s already halfway through November. The nights are quite cold. She will probably reach her limit to bear the cold before long.

I sit back down in front of the low table and once again focus on my homework.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s already past midnight.

After taking a bath and spending time on a video call with Rinka, the date has changed in the blink of an eye.

“Goodnight.”

‘Goodnight.’

I wave goodbye through the smartphone and end the call.

Now, all that’s left to do is sleep. It seems like I can finally get a good night’s rest after a long time.

I set the alarm on my phone and prepare for bed.

At that moment, my childhood friend’s words come to mind.

‘—I’ll wait until you open the door. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.’

Just to be sure, I decide to check.

I head to the entrance before turning off the lights.

I open the front door.

“Hmm!? What are you doing…!?”

“T-Toshi-kun! Ahaha…you finally opened the door.”

Right there, I see my childhood friend sitting on the ground.

Her hands and face are bright red from the cold. Her breath turns white in the chilly air.

Just going outside for a little while is so cold that it makes me shiver.

“You’ll get sick sitting out here! What are you thinking!?”

She has been sitting out here this whole time?

It’s been more than three hours since then.

No matter how you look at it, this is just going too far.

“B-But I don’t want…I don’t want my relationship with Toshi-kun to end like this…I absolutely don’t want that…”

“But still…just go home already.”

“The last train has already left.”

“Take a taxi then.”

“I don’t have that much money. Plus, I don’t plan on going home without talking to you, Toshi-kun.”

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’ll give you the money for taxi, so please go home.”

“No way. I’m going to wait until you let me inside your house, Toshi-kun.”

“…fine, do what you want.”

I close the front door.

This is ridiculous…all of this is her fault.

She thought that she could do whatever she wanted as long as I didn’t find out…

What the hell is she even saying now?

“—hah.”

I let out a heavy sigh.

After scratching my head in frustration, I open the front door again.

“Toshi-kun…?”

“…come in.”

“Is it really okay?”

“If you stay out there like that, you’ll be a nuisance to the neighbours. Plus, if something happens, I don’t want to be held responsible.”

If she keeps sitting there until morning, she might catch a cold. No, it can be worse than just a cold. In any case, this isn’t something I can just ignore.

My childhood friend’s eyes light up as she gets up to her feet.

Perhaps it’s because she had been sitting for so long, her body sways slightly. I instinctively take her hand.

“Are you okay—”

…what am I worrying about?

I quickly let go of her hand and look away. Her hand is really cold.

“Thank you, Toshi-kun.”

I let out a small sigh and reluctantly decide to let my childhood friend into the house.