My Online Friends Turned Out To Be the Ultra-Beautiful Girls in My Class and They Were Yandere - 29

Chapter 29: How to Fix Relationships

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“By the way, what’s up with you? I heard you’re pretty serious, so skipping school seems unlike you.”

On the way there, Nonoa suddenly asked me that.

“Well, it’s just… I’ve got some issues with relationships. It felt hard to stay at school.”

“I see. Relationships really are a pain, huh. I totally get it. I’m someone whose life got messed up over just one rumor.”

“What about Hanado-san?”

“I don’t really want to talk to Misaki about it. She’s suffering from rumors herself right now. Seriously, why are people so complicated?”

I strongly agreed with what Nonoa said. Seriously, why are people so damn complicated? Of course, I was included among those complicated people. How relationships could change so easily because of rumors, how people clung to the past. Even hurting unrelated people when things got out of control.

“Hey, can I change plans a bit?”

“You’d do it anyway even if I refused. Go ahead.”

“Then let’s go to karaoke! My treat!”

And so, I ended up at karaoke with Nonoa. ..

.What am I even doing? I hurt people who matter to me, yet I’m here in a place like this. Should I just pay and leave? No, that would be rude to Nonoa…

“Alright, before we sing, let’s just talk for a bit. Tell me what happened. It’s fine, really! I may look like this, but Misaki is the only friend I have, so I won’t tell anyone. See? Easy to talk to, right?”

As we sat down on the sofa in the private room, Nonoa said that while fiddling with her phone. 

Easy to talk to, huh. Can I trust her? What if she tells someone? She might just be saying that…

“Please! I really want to hear! I want to thank you for saving Misaki!”

“…Just a little bit, okay?”

In the end, I gave in to Nonoa’s pleading and decided to talk. 

I’m really weak, aren’t I. That’s why I get betrayed, idiot.

And so I told Nonoa. While leaving out some details, I talked about middle school, and how the people I trusted didn’t help me. How remembering that made me reject everyone. Nonoa gave casual responses, but she still listened seriously. It made me realize that just talking about it could ease things a lot. And once I started, I couldn’t stop. By the time I finished, Nonoa was crying. Wait, what part of that was supposed to make you cry?

“That must’ve been so hard, Haracchi… You’ve been living through a real hell.”

“What kind of reaction is that? Here, a handkerchief.”

“Whoa, what a gentleman!”

I had been carrying a handkerchief just in case, since I never knew what might make Muna and the others cry. When I quietly offered it, she quickly took it and wiped her tears. Then her expression turned serious.

“Hey, Haracchi. Misaki was one of the people who didn’t help you, right?”

“!?”

It came out of nowhere. As if she saw right through everything, Nonoa continued.

“And then… Munacchi and Haruna-chan too, right?”

“How do you know that?”

“Misaki told me. She really regrets it. I can’t go into details, but it’s not that she didn’t do anything. She couldn’t do anything. It sounded like she was being threatened by someone too. But she regrets it so much she’s tried to kill herself over and over.”

“What? She couldn’t do anything?”

A loaded phrase came up. Not that she didn’t do anything, but that she couldn’t.

“What does that even mean? Why can’t you tell me the details?”

“I think it’s better if you hear it from her directly. Hey, Haracchi. If you’ve remembered things, then talk to them. Let your feelings out.”

“What do you even—”

The words slipped out, sharp without me meaning to. And Nonoa—

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m saying this. I’m not you, so there’s no way I can understand what you’re thinking. That’s why I’m telling you to put it into words. Well, that goes for Misaki too.”

She cut right through it. Right. Had I ever actually asked them? No, I hadn’t. Because I was afraid of what they might say. I had just made assumptions on my own. Nonoa was right. I couldn’t even let out this tangled mess of emotions to them. I said that it was because I didn’t want to hurt them, but that was just an excuse. In the end, I was just prioritizing my own selfishness. 

“Anyway. Those three are still important to you, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then you should go all in and face them, even if it means crashing and burning. If it doesn’t work out, then cut them off. If there’s a reason you can accept, then keep the relationship going. Relationships are a pain, but when they break, the thing you’re most afraid of doing is often what gets you closest to fixing them.”

To be able to say something that resonates this deeply…. Nonoa is really amazing… 

I felt something inside me, something that had gone out, started burning again.

“…I’m pretty easy, huh.”

“That’s not a bad thing. At least, it’s way better than not being moved by anything.”

I’ll talk to them. To Haruna and the others. About everything. Everything I’m feeling. It’s fine to be scared. I’ll do it.

“Thanks, Nonoa. You really helped me.”

“No problem. Glad to hear it. Now then, let’s enjoy karaoke! Oh, but first, can I order a drink? I want to get orange juice.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Holding both my cup and Nonoa’s, I left the room.

Man, I’m pathetic. But still, I’m glad. Glad that I’m the kind of person who can be swayed so easily.

Thinking about it nonstop felt awful. These contradictory feelings, being angry, hating them, yet still caring about them… it just hurt more. I should just break everything down.

“Nono-…”

As I was about to return to the room, I heard Nonoa’s voice. But it was different from the one I knew. It was gentle, calm, and soft.

『It seems that’s how it is, Muu-chan. Is Haru-chan okay?』

『Hehe, that’s good. I’ll join the talk too. And also… today, I’ll be monopolizing Haa-chan. Well then.』

…What a kind girl. I see. So, the image from the photo wasn’t wrong after all.

“Nonoa, I’m back.”

“Welcome back. Alright, let’s start singing!”

“Yeah, let’s.”

“What’s up? Haracchi, you look really refreshed.”

“Thanks to someone, my worries are completely gone.”

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