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 34

A Fight with My Former Best Friend?

“How about you and I have a little fight?”

“Huh?”

I stand there stunned with my mouth slightly agape.

Ignoring my reaction, my former best friend continues as he opens the door.

“Let’s talk in the living room.”

We move to the dining table, where he calmly sits down with a composed expression on his face.

I sit across from him, and Rinka sits beside me. I should’ve just ignored him and left immediately, but I got swept up in his sudden pace and couldn’t think straight.

“The message I sent to Rinka yesterday—that was from me using my mom’s phone. Mom’s gone back to her hometown today. As usual, Dad’s working on the weekend.”

My former best friend calmly reveals the truth.

It’s a very simple method, just a simple trick, and he makes it clear that no one else is home besides us.

“My mom’s not good with technology. She didn’t even notice that I sent those messages using her phone.”

“I don’t care about that. What are you planning to do by telling Rinka to come home?”

“Who knows? But I expected you to be here, too. I understand Rinka’s thoughts better than anyone.”

“…you’re still as creepy as ever.”

He immediately shows his obsession towards Rinka.

As I feel disgusted, Rinka gently grabs my hand. Her hand is slightly trembling.

“Now then…don’t you think that you and I are in the same position now?”

“I don’t think so at all.”

“We both had someone we love stolen away from us…well, in Tsukimiya-san’s case, she likes Toshiya. But still, something was stolen from us, right?”

“Even so, I don’t like being compared with you.”

“Looks like I’ve really been hated…well, I guess that’s to be expected.”

My former best friend laughs in exasperation and scratches his forehead with his fingers.

“Like I mentioned earlier, the reason I told Rinka to come home today is to have a fight with you.”

“……”

“The reason I went through all these roundabout methods is that I thought it would be the only way to make contact. If I went to Toshiya’s house, I’d get turned away for sure. If you called the police, I’d be in trouble. It seems that everyone has misunderstood me.”

“Misunderstood? …what do you mean?”

“Hmph. Well, let’s talk about that while we fight.”

He stands up and moves toward the TV.

He picks up a shogi board and pieces that has been carelessly left lying around, then places them on the dining table.

“This is…Shogi, right?”

Rinka whispers softly in my ear.

My former best friend is the first one to respond.

“Yeah. Strategy and confrontation are a form of fighting, right?”

“…let’s go home, Rinka.”

My former best friend tries to start the game of shogi as if nothing happened.

I stand up and take Rinka’s hand. There is no need to waste time on his nonsensical suggestion.

“Are you running away?”

“Huh?”

“You always lose to me, Toshiya. Are you running away because you think you can’t win?”

“No. I just think it’s a waste of time.”

“Please don’t say such harsh thing. Besides, this isn’t a bad thing for Toshiya either.”

My former best friend glares at me sharply through his glasses.

He adjusts his glasses with his middle finger and says,

“If Toshiya beats me, I’ll let you ask one thing of me. If you tell me to never speak to Rinka again, I won’t speak to her again. If you tell me not to show up in front of you again, I’ll do my best to avoid it. Given that we’re in the same class, some things might be physically impossible…but I promise to fully accept Toshiya’s demand.”

“And if I lose?”

“Then you’ll have to listen to my demand.”

“That’s not worth it.”

“Don’t misunderstand. You’ll only have to hear my demand. There’s no need to fulfil it. What do you think? Don’t you think it’s a match that benefits you, Toshiya?”

If I win, I can ask my former best friend to fulfil my demand, and he has promised to do his best to fulfil it.

On the other hand, if my former friend wins, I’ll only have to listen to his demand, with no obligation to fulfil it. It’s an incredible offer.

I sit back down in the chair and face my former best friend.

“If I tell you to stay away from Rinka, will you really do it?”

“Yes. I’ll do my best. It might involve some help from my parents, but I should be able to manage living alone.”

“Okay then…I’ll do it.”

“Glad to hear that.”

My former best friend lets out a small chuckle and begins arranging the pieces on the shogi board.

Rinka watches us with a slightly worried expression.

Neither of us has a handicap. Once he finished setting up the pieces, I speak.

“Am I going first?”

“You can go first, Toshiya. Or would you prefer to go second?”

I don’t respond to his question and move a pawn in front of my rook.

My former best friend makes a similar move.

As the sound of the pieces hitting the shogi board echoes throughout the room, he smiles faintly.

“I was in the middle of saying something earlier…it seems that everyone misunderstood me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I admit that I’m a siscon. In fact, I’m the type of siscon that might be considered a bit excessive. But it’s outrageous to think that I would directly harm Rinka. I haven’t fallen that far, nor do I plan to.”

“I don’t trust you. You’re a dangerous person.”

“Don’t say that. If anything, I’m like a fan who blindly adores an idol. That’s why, I never thought for a second that I could have any kind of relationship with Rinka.”

“Is that really true?”

The pieces move alternately on the shogi board.

It’s a back-and-forth battle. So far, there hasn’t been any significant moves.

“Yeah. I don’t think there are any fans who genuinely believe they can date their idol, right?”

“I don’t know. I think there are some people like that. There’s even a term for it—‘gachi-koi’.”

(TN: Gachikoi means fans of japanese idols that are actually in love with the idol they support.)

“Even so, deep down, they know it’s impossible. Some things just can’t happen. Imagining is the limit.”

“……”

“But, Toshiya, reason and emotions are complicated. When I found out that Rinka has feelings for you, that was the first time I felt hatred. And more than anything, I was infuriated by the fact that you were completely unaware of those feelings.”

As we exchange strategies on the shogi board, my former friend continues with his story.

He probably wants to create a situation where we can talk face-to-face like this. That’s why he used this roundabout method of shogi, even offering me favourable conditions.

My former best friend slightly bites his lower lip.

Rinka who sitting next to me, begins to speak hesitantly.

“That’s because…I was hiding my it. It’s natural that Senpai didn’t notice…”

“Is that so? Both I and Tsukimiya-san noticed it. As for me, I’m your older brother, but since Tsukimiya noticed it as well, that means you couldn’t completely hide your feelings, Rinka.”

“That’s…”

Rinka falls silent.

My former best friend turns his gaze back to me.