My Tsundere Childhood Friend, Who Was Always Haughty, Suddenly Showing a Sharp Increase in Affection and Directing Intense, Heavy Emotions Toward Me - Chapter 3.3: Interlude 2 - To Be Honest, You Don’t Have Any Other Charm Right Now

Chapter 3.3: Interlude 2 – To Be Honest, You Don’t Have Any Other Charm Right Now

After the vow kiss, the scene changed to a room in some apartment. The room’s decor was to my taste, so maybe it was the twenty-nine-year-old me’s place. Thinking that, I shouted hysterically.

“Why is the twenty-nine-year-old me in this situation!?”

I couldn’t understand why I ended up not being with Haruto. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me now, so maybe the twenty-nine-year-old me messed something up.

“You probably think I failed somehow, but sadly, that’s not it.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Sure, as an adult, I kept missing Haruto, and I did things that made him mad. But me and Haruto were missing each other long before we grew up.”

“Me and Haruto aren’t missing each other at all.”

“I thought that too back then, and that’s why it turned out like this.”

The twenty-nine-year-old me said that with a self-mocking smile. Her words didn’t seem like a lie or a joke, so I couldn’t say anything back.

“My biggest mistake was not thinking about Haruto’s feelings.”

“I think I do consider them…”

“No, you don’t, not even a little. Honestly, Haruto’s getting fed up with being dragged around by my selfishness, but he’s too nice to say it out loud.”

“H-He must be happy to be with me, right?”

“That way of thinking is completely wrong.”

The twenty-nine-year-old me shot down my argument. She kept going.

“Why would Haruto be happy being with me?”

“Because any guy would be happy to be with a beautiful girl like me.”

“I know it’s weird to say about myself, but yeah, my face is pretty great. But besides that, do you think I have any charm for Haruto?”

When she said that, I couldn’t find words. Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything else. If I took time to think, maybe I’d come up with something, but not being able to answer right away meant it wasn’t much of a charm.

“To be honest, you don’t have any other charm right now.”

The twenty-nine-year-old me said that to me clearly, without hesitation. Part of me felt really upset, but another part of me couldn’t help but agree.

Sure, I was better-looking, and I thought my communication skills were better too, but besides that, Haruto was way more impressive in every way.

“So, there’s no reason for Haruto to choose you. The proof is that he picked someone more charming than me.”

I didn’t even have the energy to argue back. Her words carried so much weight.

“So, I’m telling you clearly right now: if you stay this stubborn and dishonest, Haruto won’t choose you, and he’ll abandon you… So don’t end up like me.”

Those words hit me like a death sentence, and I felt like everything went dark. I didn’t hear the last part she said—I didn’t want to hear any more.

The next thing I noticed, a white ceiling came into view. I sat up and looked around, and it seemed like I was in a hospital room.

“…Was that a dream?”

I mumbled, but the memory felt too clear to be just a dream. As the vivid exchanges from before flashed back in my mind, something inside me completely broke down with a crash.