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

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Chapter 5.2

“…”

I kept staring at Yu because I wanted to draw the words out of him. With the hope that he would say the very thing I had been trying to say earlier.

But he didn’t say a single word.

… It’s frustrating.

Not because of Yu, because of me.

All I had to do was to ask for his headband.

He had been trying to initiate the topic earlier for me.

No, I can’t say that for sure, but he must have been.

Because that’s the only popular topic nowadays, and which I’m having a hard time saying. Even if he isn’t, there is no one else he would ask, right? There’s no way he would say no.

All I have to do is to ask…

I know, but…

“Yu, Yu, Yu! Hea…”

“Hea?”

“… Yeah, you should brush your teeth after dinner, you know…”

“What’s the matter with you all of a sudden? I know that much.”

“What I want you to understand is… something else!”

“And what is it?”

“Umuu!”

Why don’t you understand me?

Is it just me getting excited, or perhaps are you planning to give it to someone else…?

Because… you haven’t answered my feelings yet.

Is it just a one-way feeling? If you’ve found someone new you like, you should let me know. It’s not my right to stop you anyway…

“Kokoa… you see, maybe what you want me to understand is…”

“Yes?”

“… Hea…”

“Ha… chi…”

“… Hachi?”

“Kyu…”

“Why are you going through the numbers?”

What are you trying to say?

“Um, Kokoa, you have something to say. You go first!”

“No… you should continue, Yu, say it!”

“Kokoa, you first.”

“No, you.”

“”…””

In the end, without being able to talk further, the day ended.

◆

The next day, at lunch break.

My classmate Hotaru Kasugai, known for her beauty and academics, Shusuke Kazama, an otaku, a delinquent and a good friend of mine, and Kokoa, who is in a different class but comes to this classroom for lunch, gathered around the desks having lunch.

“Kazamacchi, here you go…”

Kasugai rummaged through her bag and pulled something out.

It was a long, red piece of cloth.

“Take care of it.”

“… Hon? What’s this thing? Your headband?”

“I choose you, Kazamacchi.”

“Wait, Kasugai. Are you asking me to do that instead of someone else?”

“Because Kazamacchi, you look like you’re quite good at sewing. Aren’t you?”

“Of course, I’m proud of my hobby that made my Gang Jackets. Though I also made bags for my sister.”

“Isn’t the variation in skill use too extreme?”

“My family has always been super clumsy, so sewing is an absolute disaster. We have to ask someone else to do it for us. So Kazamacchi, please.”

“What’s the point of me accepting this request?”

This had been in my mind for a while now. Maybe Kasugai had some strange fondness for Kazama, or at least she was inclined to know him.

At first, I thought she might be trying to curry favour with him, but I doubt if that was the case.

“Yeah?”

“It’s your headband, you know. Isn’t it the kind of thing you should give to someone you like, that’s the tradition, right? Let me ask you again, are you sure you want to give it to me?”

“Hoh… Kazamacchi is the type of person who cares about such things? That’s new to me.”

Kasugai’s cheerful reply was unexpected.

I couldn’t help but look at Kokoa.

She might have a similar guess about Kasugai’s feelings.

“I’m asking you because I consider Kazamacchi to be a true friend. You know, when you ask friends of the opposite sex, they tend to make you want to fall in love with them. I don’t like that… But I also wanna be friends with the boys, and it’s not like there are some places where you can go and get to know boys.”

“Yeah, I understand. It’s hard to find a real anime heroine unless you have a girlfriend you can trust.”

“That’s not the same thing. Anyway, I always thought that I could be friends with Kazamacchi. You don’t look at real girls as an object. I feel at ease with you, and you don’t give me unnecessary troubles. And that goes for you too, Yucchi.”

“Huh, me too?”

Oh, I get it why.

I had someone that I loved more than I cared to admit, and after she died, I was too detached to think about any other things. Guess that’s the reason why she feels at ease with me.

“Well, that’s how it is. Here…”

Kasugai offered the headband again.

“I haven’t said I’ll take it yet…”

“Anything from this cafeteria.”

“Deal. Udon noodles.”

“How can it be? That’s the most expensive meal.”

Kazama took the headband from Kasugai.

It was the most expensive set meal.

Well, in reality, it was a bowl of controversy, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t ask your friends for it.

“So, Yucchi, have you asked Kokocchi to do it for you?”

“Huh?”

“I mean headband, your headband. As you can see, it’s not strange to ask a friend. Not in a fancy way, but I think there would be no problem asking a girl you are close to!”

What’s with her, dragging Kokoa and me into it all of a sudden…?

But when I saw her flashing a wink at Kokoa…

Ah… I see. Kasugai, could it be that she realized that Kokoa and I hadn’t been able to ask yet, and she meant to help out?

When I looked at Kokoa, she was looking at me with a troubled, embarrassed expression.

…

“Uh, that… Kokoa, um, well, will you, please?”

“Eh? O-of course, even friends do that! I’ll do it!”

For some reason, my heart was thumping with vigour.

Speaking of which, I wondered how much Kasugai knew about Kokoa and me.

I hadn’t told her anything, but judging from how she was acting, she has a fair amount of knowledge about it.

“Kusuu~~~”

“Why’re you crying, Kokoa?”