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 27

The Reason I Like Senpai (3)

Rinka’s POV

In the end, the anxieties I have are just baseless worries.

Perhaps…because we aren’t blood-related, I thought Mama might not think of me as her daughter.

Perhaps, she is just reluctantly playing the role of a parent.

Looking back now, those are really silly worries.

It goes without saying how much Mama cherishes me.

After all, the very reason why she got into hospital was to protect me. Well, of course, the car that ran the red light is the one to blame.

In any case, by confiding in Senpai, I’m able to reconcile with Mama.

Blood relation doesn’t determine family, I finally understand that.

As for Senpai, he accompanies me all the way to Mama’s hospital room, but he doesn’t enter the room with me.

I understand that is senpai’s way of being considerate, but I still wish had he come inside with me. I’m still feeling anxious…

So, after having a long conversation with Mama and leaving the hospital room, I find Senpai sitting on a bench outside.

I start talking to him in a rather ungracious manner.

“Ah, I’m looking for you, senpai. You look more like a patient than the actual patient, so I thought you’re the one sick!”

“Wait, do I really look that way…? Anyway, you’re okay, right?”

“…well, yes. As soon as I saw her…Mama started crying. I’m such an idiot for making assumptions based on blood relations.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Hmph, I’d appreciate a little support there…”

“Well, you can always make it up to her from now on, right? Like regularly visiting her.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Even though Senpai is just a year older than me, he seems very mature.

Is this the difference between elementary and middle school?

“Ah, if you’re looking for a get-well gift, I recommend our wagashi. I can give you a discount since you’re my friend’s little sister.”

Senpai stands up from the bench and smiles as he says so.

The phrase ‘my friend’s little sister’ catches my attention.

That’s right, Senpai is a friend of my brother. He came to see me after hearing about me from my brother.

To him, I’m nothing more than his friend’s little sister. He has no objections to that, and I should feel the same way.

Yet, for some reason, I can’t help but to hate it.

“Is something wrong?”

“…no, it’s nothing.”

Telling myself it’s nothing makes it a little bit easier.

The issue that had been bothering me for so long is resolved in an incredibly simple and straightforward manner.

I should’ve just talked to Mama, but instead, I made assumptions and got depressed on my own.

From now on, I’ll try not to let the same thing happen again in the future.

In any case, my worries are all gone now.

Despite so, I’m still sitting on the desolate park bench, just as before, with Senpai by my side.

“Basically, Senpai, I don’t have any friends. So, I’d like you to help me with making friends, while I help you with your romantic problems. Will you keep coming here whenever you have time?”

“That sounds good, but…are you sure? You have to go visit your mom, right?”

“It’s fine, I’ll go after our consultation.”

“Well, if Rinka-chan is okay with it, then it’s fine.”

Now that the problem with Mama is resolved, I feel like senpai wouldn’t want to get involved with me anymore.

So, I want a way to keep Senpai around. I want to somehow maintain my relationship with Senpai.

And so, we become each other’s confidants, and begin to meet each other at the park bench after school.

Days like that continues…until one day.

Today is a holiday, and I’m on my way to go to the wagashi shop owned by Senpai’s family.

That’s when I see her.

Senpai is walking with a woman I don’t know.

She has long black hair, and even from a distance, it’s clear she’s beautiful and has a great figure.

On top of that, Senpai has a look on his face that I’ve never seen before…I feel an intense pain deep within my heart.

Come to think of it, he mentioned that he might go out with someone this weekend.

I know that senpai has someone he likes.

I’ve known it since our first meeting.

I understand that, but for some reason, my heart hurts.

No, I don’t want to know what this is…what should I do?

An unfamiliar emotion begins to grow within me. I don’t even need to think about what it is.

I try not to notice it…but I can’t lie to myself any longer.

At that moment, I realize for the first time that I have fallen in love with Senpai.

The day after I saw Senpai walking with the girl he likes, I take a small action.

“Senpai…are you the type who would date anyone even if you already have a girlfriend?”

“Huh? No, that’s not true at all.”

“Then, for example, if a fairly cute girl confessed to you, would you go out with her?”

“I don’t think I would.”

“Even if you have a decent relationship with that person and rejecting her would ruin your relationship with her?”

“Yeah. If I started dating her just for that reason, it would be disrespectful to her.”

“That’s very typical of you, Senpai. Your rigid, immature outlook on love.”

“…you really take every opportunity to insult me, don’t you?”

Senpai smiles wryly, looking a bit troubled.

But this time, I feel like I have to act tough like this. Otherwise, I won’t be able to hold back my tears.

Even if I were to confess my feelings now, there would be no chance of success.

These feelings would only be a burden to Senpai and sever the connection between us.

So, I decided to put a lid on these feelings.

As long as I keep the lid on, at least my connection with senpai won’t disappear.

As his friend’s little sister, I can still interact with Senpai.

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

Toshiya’s POV

“—so, that’s about it.”

After finishing her story, Rinka smiles softly.

We are so close to each other that I can feel her breath. If I listen closely, I feel like I can hear her heartbeat.

“Isn’t your reason for liking me a bit weak? After all, I only gave you a little advice. It’s not like I did anything special.”

“That’s not true. Besides, I believe timing matters. Senpai did the right thing at the perfect moment to win me over. Because of that, even when I was thinking about giving up on you, I end up falling more and more in love with you. Every time I learn something new about you, it makes me so happy.”

“T-That’s though.”

“Yes, it is though. So, please take responsibility! ♡”

With a devilish smile, Rinka says something that sends shivers down my spine.

Rinka closes the distance between us even more, burying her face in my chest. I can smell her sweet scent once more.

“Now that I think about it, why did you come to talk to me, Senpai? I don’t really understand. I feel like you went too far out of your way for your friend’s little sister.”

“…I think it’s probably for my own satisfaction.”

“For your own satisfaction?”

“Yeah. I’m not biologically related to my mom either.”

“Eh, this is the first time I’ve heard that.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.”

I look into Rinka’s eyes.

“But unlike Rinka, I knew about it since I was quite young…my mom absolutely adores me—more than my dad, who is my biological parent. So, when I heard about Rinka’s family situation from Shintaro—I thought that I couldn’t just leave her alone. I wanted to tell you that blood relations shouldn’t matter…so, yeah, it was just for my own satisfaction.”

“So I got caught up in Senpai’s self-satisfaction, and to make matters worse, I had first love stolen from me, huh?”

“Ugh…when you put it that way, I sound like a bad guy…”

“It’s actually true. Honestly.”

We spend a while in silence after that.

It’s a bit awkward and a bit sweet. As I’m wondering whether to gently wrap my arm around her waist, Rinka looks up at me.

“So, Senpai…are you still not going to do anything?”

“……”

Her voice is soft and quiet, it’s as if she is muttering to herself.

I can feel my face getting hotter. It looks like I won’t be able to get any sleep tonight.