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 50

From Now On… (2)

The next day, Saturday.

It’s a little past noon, and I’m sitting at the corner seat of the cafeteria.

Since it’s Saturday, there are fewer people here than usual. Rinka is also in the cafeteria, sitting a little further away from me.

She is sitting at a counter seat across from me, wearing sunglasses and glancing over with a sharp look. I told her not to wear the sunglasses because they make her stand out, but apparently, that is her idea of a disguise.

I rest my chin on my hand, waiting absent-mindedly for time to pass.

Suddenly, I see a figure appear in front of me.

She is breathing heavily.

Her hair is a bit messy, likely blown by the wind.

My childhood friend, Tsukimiya Airi, adjusts her hair with her hand as she speaks, sounding a bit excited.

“S-Sorry, the lecture took a bit longer than expected…I kept you waiting, didn’t I!?”

“No, it’s fine. I just got here too.”

When I shake my head as I say so, she lets out a sigh of relief, placing her hand over her chest.

“I see…I’m glad to hear that.”

“So, let’s get right to it. Here…”

I take a box out of my bag and place it on the table.

“Is that…”

“Yeah, the thing I took from you that day.”

That day, I took this box from her with the intent of cutting all ties with her.

However, even though I said that I’d throw it away, I can’t bring myself to do it and it remained in my room all this time.

“You didn’t throw it away.”

“Well, it’s more like I can’t bring myself to throw it away.”

“…can I look inside?”

“Yeah, it’s Tsukimiya-san’s to begin with.”

She opens the box and looks inside.

Since I’ve kept it as is, it shouldn’t look too different. Although, of course, deterioration over time is inevitable.

“Fufu…this brings back memories. I feel so nostalgic.”

“We’ve really grown up, huh? Seeing it now.”

“Yeah, we’ve really grown up…in this one, Toshi—Naegi-kun, you’re even shorter than me.”

Watching her happily look through the old photos, I smile a little.

Then, placing both hands on my lap, I look straight in her eyes.

“I’m really sorry…”

“Eh? W-Why are you apologizing, Naegi-kun…?”

“I went too far. Taking your things without permission isn’t right.”

“N-No! If we’re pointing fingers, I was the one who did way worse things…I’m sorry…I’m really sorry.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, she bows deeply. I gently smile at her.

“…then, should we just call it even?”

“N-No way! B-Because, it was all my fault!”

“…I actually like being relied on. So, in a way, I think I spoiled you a little too much, Tsukimiya—Airi…I acted however I want. I pampered you so much, and then once we entered middle school, a lot of things happened and we grew apart. I was being really selfish.”

“No, that’s not true! You didn’t do anything wrong, Toshi-kun.”

“I don’t think it’s about who’s at fault. So, let’s just call it even, okay?”

“Are you sure? Are you really okay with that, Toshi-kun?”

“Yeah. I’m at peace with it.”

From an objective point of view, she’s the one in the wrong.

The one who cheats is in the wrong. The one who’s cheated on is the victim and has every right to be angry. That’s a fair point, and I don’t dispute it.

I guess I just have a slightly unusual way of thinking.

However, I feel like if someone else is in my position, I think they might understand me at least a little.

“Toshi-kun, you haven’t changed a bit. You’re still just as soft-hearted as ever.”

“It’ll be a lot easier if I can change…but I don’t think I can.”

I chuckle softly, as if mocking myself.

Airi takes a photo out of the box and smiles.

“……”

“What is it?”

“This is what I like about you, Toshi-kun.”

“W-What’s with that, all of a sudden?”

“You fixed it.”

“W-Well…I can’t fix it to the way it was, but I did what I could.”

I used cellophane tape to carefully piece back together the photo that I tore up in a fit of anger that day.

Well, it’s not something that can be completely fixed, but I can’t just leave it without doing anything.

Although the photo is patched together, there are some things that can be repaired.

That’s right, there are things that can be fixed if we want to.

“But, Toshi-kun…are you sure about this?”

“Eh?”

“I might end up falling in love with you again…I might cling to you obsessively like before again.”

“I don’t think you’re foolish enough to repeat the same mistake, Airi.”

“…you trust me too much.”

“It’s not trust. It’s just what I know from experience.”

“But it’s true that I might end up falling in love with you again…no, actually, I still love you all this time!”

She looks at me with teary eyes. Her cheeks are blushing.

“Sorry. I can’t return those feelings.”

“…are you still dating Rin-chan?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“I see.”

Airi mutters so as she lowers her head.

I give a small, awkward smile.

“I’m truly selfish…I want us to go back to being as close as we were before, like siblings. I can’t return your feelings, but I’d like us to go back being childhood friends.”

“…Toshi-kun, that’s a pretty cruel thing to say.”

“It really is. Are you disappointed?”

“No, I still love you.”

With a dazzling smile, she expresses her affection straightforwardly.

I have a weakness for straightforward things like this. I can feel my cheeks are blushing.

“D-Don’t say things like that in a place like this.”

“Then is it okay if it’s just the two of us?”

“Don’t read between the lines.”

“Fufu…hey, just hypothetically…just a what-if.”

Airi glances up at me. Then she speaks cautiously and hesitantly.

“If I say I’m okay with being second, what will you do, Toshi-kun?”

“Eh?”

My mouth drops open at her sudden question.

I blink in astonishment, I’m at a loss for words.

As I’m shocked, Airi continues.

“I don’t care about being second. I-I’d do anything for you, Toshi-kun—!”

“Well, well, what do we have here, rotten bitch Senpai? What are you trying to do, steal my boyfriend?”

Airi’s words are cut off.

Rinka grabs both of Airi’s cheeks with her right hand, I can see veins bulging on her forehead.

She’s really angry.

“Rin…chan? Why are you here?”

“Surveillance. I’m keeping an eye on you. After you cheated on him, now you want to steal him away from me? I’m shocked. Looks like people don’t change that easily after all.”

“…n-no, I was just talking hypothetically!”

“Then why did it sound so serious, huh!?”

Rinka’s interrogation doesn’t stop. Airi’s eyes begin to fill with tears as she looks at me.

It seems that she is silently pleading for my help in this situation.

Well, I guess I’ll give my childhood friend a little help.

“Rinka, that’s enough…”

“Ah, thank you, defendant-senpai. You keep saying that you only love me, but you got flustered when this person said she loves you, so please stay quiet.”

“T-That’s…yes, ma’am.”

Alright, time to shut up. Speaking up here would be suicide.

“I-It seems that you’re being bossed around, Toshi-kun…?”

Airi mutters so as she looks at me.