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!

There is No Way My Childhood Friend Can Win Against My Girlfriend (3)

Thirty minutes later.

“Here’s some French toast I made with lots of love just for you, senpai ♡”

Rinka’s homemade French toast is laid out on the table.

Rinka is so close to me that our shoulders almost touch. Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, my childhood friend sits with her arms wrapped around her knees, looking depressed.

“Here, ahh.”

“I-I can eat it myself.”

“It’s fine. Just open your mouth.”

“Okay then…”

Rinka brings the French toast to my mouth.

French toast is quite difficult to make. I tried making it before, I ended up burning it.

However, the French toast Rinka made is perfect.

Rinka smiles with satisfaction and glances briefly at my childhood friend.

“How long do you plan on sitting there like some kind of house spirit? If you can’t even compete in the cooking contest, you should just leave.”

(TN: ‘house spirit’ that Rinka said actually refers to ‘zashiki-warashi’ they are spirit-like beings told about mostly in the Iwate Prefecture)

“T-That’s not true. It just didn’t go well today, that’s all…usually, at least I can keep the shape intact—”

“I can see where you’re at, it doesn’t matter if you burn the food completely as long as you can barely keep the shape intact.”

“…don’t get carried away just because you can cook a little.”

“I’m not getting carried away. However, a contest is a contest. I didn’t expect it to be this one-sided though. The loser should gracefully accept defeat and go home.”

“…T-Toshi-kun.”

For some reason, my childhood friend clings to me.

Does she really think that I’ll do something to help her?

Even at this point, does she genuinely believe that I’ll offer her some kind of helping hand and save her?

Is this the proof of how lenient I’ve been toward her all this time?

Perhaps, she thinks that whenever she’s in trouble, she can just turn and rely on me.

…hah.

If I’m going to do it, now is the time…I’ll have to do something really unpleasant.

Even if it leaves me feeling disgusted with myself, even if I’ll hate myself for doing this…if I don’t do it now, she might end up being obsessed with me forever.

After closing my eyes for a moment, I take a deep breath and look at my childhood friend straight in her eyes.

“You can’t even keep a promise?”

“…n-no! T-That’s not true! This was an unfair match for me…so—”

“So what? If it’s unfair, does that mean you don’t have to keep your promises if you lose?”

“B-But—”

“From the start…”

“Eh?”

“From the start, I only liked your face a little. I never really liked you that much. Stop clinging to me forever. It’s getting seriously annoying…damn it. Even though you’re completely at fault, I tried to break up with you peacefully! How can you not get that? The kind me who was nice to you doesn’t exist anymore. I thought you loved me wholeheartedly, but I’m disappointed. Aside from your face, you’re honestly just a total failure.”

“……”

“Well, it’s fine, because thanks to you, I’m now with Rinka. From now on, go chase after some random handsome guy or do whatever you want. I never want to see the face of a slutty woman like you again. Stop clinging to me with your lingering feelings…I feel depressed when you’re around. Just get out from my sight right now.”

“…T-Toshi-kun…”

“Ah, and don’t call me that ever again, okay? Every time I hear it, it makes my skin crawl. The only reason why I’ve been hanging out with you is just because we’re childhood friends, and you’ve been a bother since way back when. Got it? Hurry up and get out of my sight now. No matter what happens, I’m not getting back together with you.”

I raised my voice and glared at my childhood friend sharply.

My childhood friend flinches, her shoulders are trembling, and tears well up in her eyes. She is on the verge of crying.

She takes her belongings and without saying a word, leaves my room.

The door is slammed shut loudly.

The room falls completely silent.

The only sound that can be heard is the ticking of the clock.

Rinka looks up at me gently.

“…why did you say something you didn’t mean, senpai?”

“Huh?”

“You really liked Tsukimiya-san, didn’t you? It wasn’t just her face that you liked, right?”

“…no, that was my true feelings. That’s the kind of person I am.”

“That’s a lie. When you lie, you always curl your thumb inside your fist like this, Senpai.”

I have never noticed that about myself before.

But now that I think about it, I probably did do that…I can’t lie to her, can I?

I thought that after being so cruel to my childhood friend, Rinka might lose interest with me.

“…in the end, I just wasn’t able to properly push her away. If I said something that harsh, she’d finally give up, right? Maybe she’d even start to hate me.”

“Seriously, senpai, you’re such an idiot.”

“Huh?”

“If it weren’t me, anyone else would have been completely disgusted with you. If you had a reason for doing it, you should have told me. Otherwise, I might have misunderstood and thought you were really that kind of person.”

“…sorry.”

But even so, do I really have the right to say, ‘That was a lie, so don’t misunderstand’ after saying such horrible things to my childhood friend?

I’m such a horrible person. I deliberately hurt my childhood friend.

“That’s why I think you should cherish me more, senpai. There’s no one else who understands you as well as I do.”

“You’re right. I really do…think so.”

“Ahh, the mood has gotten kind of weird, hasn’t it?”

“Ugh, sorry.”

“Ah, no, I’m not blaming you, senpai.”

Rinka shakes her hands nervously.

Then, she clasps her hands together and says,

“Now that the distraction is gone, why don’t we lighten the mood and have a little cuddle time together?”

“Y-Yeah.”