After a Heartbreak, My Bitter Childhood Friend is now Sweet Like Sugar - Chapter 1.8

Chapter 1.8

Translated by Devxtt

Edited by Shish

After having a nutritious breakfast I sat on the table peacefully when the doorbell rang. On the intercom monitor I saw Kokoa was waiting for me, sighing.

I opened the door and Kokoa greeted me before dazedly looking away.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning… So what’s up?”

“I was worried that you might have overslept.”

“No, I didn’t. I’m a morning person.”

“People get tired when they do something they’re not used to. You must have been exhausted after having a long day at school. And just because you did it yesterday doesn’t mean you can do it today too.”

“So you were worried about me staying indoors. Don’t worry, I’ve finished my breakfast and I’m ready to get back to work.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Well, there’s still some time left before school. Go and get ready, I’ll wait here.”

“Oh.”

I went back to my room to get ready but a thought crossed my mind… Wait, is she planning to walk to school with me? Why all of a sudden…?

I left the room after getting ready and she was there waiting for me.

“Hey! You really want me to come with you? Even if we’re going to school together, I won’t buy you an ice cream.”

She looked at me with her usual disdain.

“I’m not asking for an ice cream. What type of person do you think I am?”

“Then why are you doing this? Are you worried that I’m afraid to go alone? You don’t have to worry me. I can at least go to school by myself.”

“There’s no particular reason. We go to the same school and we’re both living in the same building. It would actually be unnatural for us to go to school separately.”

“That’s true, but…”

If that was the case, shouldn’t we have done this much earlier?

She used to hate me before. And I had a girlfriend. After that incident, I don’t know but for some unknown reasons Kokoa has warmed up to me.

I guess things have changed.

I left the room while locking the door, and got off the elevator. I walked down the street to the school feeling the fresh morning air brush against my face.

“Didn’t we do this long ago, you know, walk to school together. I guess about the time we entered junior high school… we-“

“To be exact, in the first year of elementary school and junior high.”

“You remember?!”

“Of course I do.”

She asserted.

It felt natural, as if we were reliving the scene from our memories.

“I’m not sure why we stopped going together back then. Why didn’t we go?”

“That’s because you were teased.”

“Teased? Oh.”

That’s right.

Back in elementary, love was a popular topic in the class. I was teased by my classmates about my relationship with Kokoa, saying that we were dating.

“I remember now. I didn’t mind it, but why did you say that we shouldn’t be together?”

“I was worried all the time.”

“You shouldn’t have cared about that. Getting frustrated is kinda a waste of energy.”

“As for me, I was worried because you were getting teased a lot.”

“No, I never really cared if they made fun of me. I felt bad because you stopped talking to me.”

“You see, the thing is…”

“Huh?”

“No-no, it’s nothing!”

“If there’s something you hate, you can tell me. I’ll try my best to change it.”

“Geez. That’s not what I’m talking about. What’s wrong with you?”

Her temper’s flaring, but I have no idea why? Maybe her feelings are more fragile than I imagined.

“Well, there’s something I want…”

“Yes.”

Kokoa took a deep breath and said,

“What are you having for lunch today, Yū?”

“I wanna go to the school cafeteria. But since I don’t have enough money, I’ll just be getting some bread.”

“Would you like to share my lunchbox?”

“Eh? Your lunch box? Kokoa, Why?”

“Ah… I made too much. That’s why I was just wondering.”

“No, I’d be happy to have it.”

I was nervous. She put in so much effort to take care of me and now she’s offering me her lunch box? 

I’m glad she cares for me, but maybe…

“Don’t tell me. You’re not planning to make me buy you an ice cream, right?”

“I won’t do that! If you don’t want it, I won’t give it to you.”

“No-no. Give it to me. I want it. I’m already tired of the bread. But Kokoa. What’s in your mind? I wanna know the truth.”

“I’m not planning anything! You don’t want it, right? I don’t want to force-feed someone who doesn’t want to eat. Then, I’ll eat two lunches by myself. I’ll stuff myself with a lot of food. And it’ll be your fault if I get fat.”

Ehh, is she serious? There’s definitely something in her mind.

“Oh-No. I’ll appreciate it if you could give it to me. I really wanna eat your lunch. Please don’t get fat for me.”

“Well, if you insist, I’ll visit your class at lunchtime.”

I was relieved for a moment, but soon realized that it might cause another problem. Does it mean we’ll eat together in my class?

Seriously…?

.

.

.

As expected, Kokoa came to my classroom and offered a lunch box without hesitation.

“Here’s your lunch. Delivery complete.”

“You really came!!”

“Of course, I promised.”

She looked at me with disdain and then took a sighed.

“It’s a relief that your usual easy going attitude has returned. But still you lack manners.”

“Manners vary greatly from culture to culture and person to person. I’m just trying to revive my bonds with a dear friend.”

Over the past few days, I learned that she’s a friend whom I can speak with casually. Because of her, I got the confidence to talk comfortably.

Anyway,

“You know what. I was wondering. If you had given it to me in the morning, you wouldn’t have had to deliver it during your lunch break.”

“Well, that’s true. But wait…  you mean I’m annoying?”

“Oh no, not that. I mean if it’s a hassle for you. And above all…”

My classmates were looking at us with curiosity. Yesterday, Kazama told me that Kokoa is like a school idol.

If such a girl came into our classroom, it was natural for the class (especially the boys) to be curious about what was going on. 

Of course, some of them raised questions about our friendship.

After I pointed it out, Kokoa looked around and blushed in embarrassment.

“T-there is nothing to worry about!”

“Is that so? I thought you were the one who worried about such things.”

“Yes, that was true in the past. But now I’m in high school. As long as they don’t go overboard, I can handle it!”

No. No matter how I look at her, she’s embarrassed. I guess she didn’t expect this.

“Don’t think about them!”

“That’s right. You won’t be popular if you go into such details.”

As I was thinking, Kazama, the person sitting next to me joined the conversation.

“I’m so jealous, you know you’re eating a girl’s homemade lunch right? I wish I had a childhood friend too, do you think I can find one around here?”

“I’m not giving you my friend either.”

“Haha, you’re such a petty guy. Isn’t there a chance?”

“How high do you think the chances of you manipulating the past to get a childhood friend are? Your expectations are too grand.”

“You never know? Maybe I just don’t remember that I have a childhood friend. For example, there is a small cake box. You don’t know if there’s a childhood friend inside until you open it, right? In other words, Schrodinger’s childhood friend.”

“I have no idea what you mean by that, and I don’t think you can put a childhood friend in a cake box.”

“Well, let’s leave the cold realist Sawatari. Hey, Shirayuki-san. It’s been a while since yesterday. I’m Kazama. Which is written as the way of the wind. Nice to meet you.”

I won’t write that. And what about the pause(間).

“Thanks, I’m Shirayuki.”

She bowed a little.

“Oh wow what’s it? Is it going to be a big lunch party. I wonder if there’s a way for me to join you guys?’

Kasugai also came to our table.

“I’m not gonna say that I was planning on having lunch with you, but…”

“But Shirayuki-san brought two lunches for you.”

That being said, I noticed that she also had a lunch box for herself. Could it be that she wants to eat with me?

“Ah~ or maybe you want to eat with her. Kazama-kun, it looks like we shouldn’t interfere.”

“Please wait! It’s not like that! I thought it would be strange to deliver the lunches and eat them separately. I was about to leave if there was someone.”

Her face blushed red as she denied it. She’s still not good with this kind of teasing.

“You two are free to join us.”

“Well, I guess I’ll do that. What about you, Kazama~cchi?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have a lunch box, so I’m going to the cafeteria.”

After saying that, Kazama attached his desk to mine and walked out of the classroom. And then Kasugai brought a chair from her own seat and placed it facing the combined desks.

“Well, let’s eat together.”

“S-Sorry to bother you.”

Kokoa sat down on Kazama’s chair and placed the lunches around the desk.

“Geez. Sawatari-kun, you have a pretty girl on each arm. You should go on a double date with me and Shirayuki-san, both of us are popular school idols, so that the boys can start trying to kill you tomorrow.”

“I admire Kasugai’s shameless personality which allows her to boast about her own popularity without shame.

You’re talking to Kokoa as if it’s natural, did you two know each other?”

“We were in the same class in the first year. You don’t even know our previous classroom? Such disappointment. Aren’t you too disinterested in other people?”

“I remember Kokoa’s class, but I wasn’t aware that you were in it.”

“Wait! You don’t care for me Yucchi. I’m crying…”

I’m not even sure I knew her back then.

“Eh!!”

Kokoa exclaimed in surprise.

“What’s wrong Kokoa?”

“No, I was just surprised that you knew my class.”

“It’s true that we were estranged back then, but we are childhood friends aren’t we? If you went to the same high school, I would at least find out what class you were in.”

“S-so that’s why!”

Her cheeks reddened, she looked away and began to open her lunch box. 

What is it? You hated me at that time, don’t you remember? Why are you smiling?

“Ah~, Yukki, you look so happy.”

“No, I’m not. And what’s ‘Yukki’?”

“A nickname I just gave you! It’s “Yukki” from Shirayuki. Isn’t it nice to have the same name as Yucchi?”

“No, it’s not!”

It’s too confusing, she should come up with a better name.

“By the way, Koko-cchi is too girlish. It’s scary that the food looks so delicious. You must be a good cook.”

Kasugai admired her cooking. It seems that she decided to call her Koko-cchi.

Certainly, the lunch looked delicious. Kokoa has an oval shaped lunch box, while Kasugai has a rectangular shaped one.

 Kokoa’s lunch was filled with white rice sprinkled with sesame seeds, while the other part was filled with a variety of colorful side dishes.”

“Most of them are cold dishes because it’s better than making it yourself.”

“But Koko-cchi made this egg roll and this asparagus salad and even the sausage is well prepared.”

“I usually prepare the eggs in advance, and the salad is leftover from last night. While the sausage doesn’t take much effort.”

“It’s amazing that you can say it like it’s not a big deal. It’s proof that you’re a good cook.”

Kasugai’s praise was met with embarrassment from Kokoai.

It seems that even though they were former classmates, they were not that familiar until now.

“I agree with Kasugai. She’s good. The porridge she made was delicious.”

“Oh! So she cooks for you!”

There was a spark in her eyes.

Kokoa glared at me as if to say, you’ve brought up a troublesome topic.

It was definitely best to avoid the topic. Yup. I feel like I’ve created an opportunity to be made fun of.

“W-well, he was down with a cold and I just happened to cook for him. It would be troublesome if he died of starvation.”

“Ho! I’m so jealous. I wanna catch a cold as well. Yucchi aren’t there some viruses left, can you pass it to me? Say, ahhhh.”

“I won’t give it to you. And don’t point your chopsticks at people’s mouths, it’s bad manners.”

“But you know what? At this rate, Yucchi is going to revive soon. I’m glad.”

“What do you mean by ‘revive’? Yeah, well, I’m pretty out of shape.”

“It’s because of the food. Food is important. If you eat tasty food, it will make you feel better. Good food nourishes the soul.”

Kasugai uttered those words without hesitation. It’s her foolish way to speak casually. It’s probably her way to make others feel comfortable.

She’s smart though she noticed Kokoa’s nervousness and tried to cheer her up.

“Well, let’s eat. Itadakimasu.”

As Kasugai clasped her hands and said “Itadakimasu.”

My lunch was as delicious as it looked and I couldn’t help but let out a squeal of delight.

“Yummy…”

“I’m glad.”

Kokoa responded cheerfully.

***

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