After a Heartbreak, My Bitter Childhood Friend is now Sweet Like Sugar - V2 Chapter 6.13

Chapter 6.13

I was absent-minded all afternoon.

Perhaps it was because I remembered Senpai, but I was also curious about Reika’s illness. I wonder what kind of disease it was? 

After homeroom was over, I met up with Kokoa in front of the classroom as usual.

I had nothing special to do today, so I walked out of the school gate and was on my way home when she suddenly stopped me.

“Yuu. Why don’t you go visit Reika-chan?”

“Eh? Why?”

“You were thinking about Reika-chan all the time, weren’t you?”

“That’s not true, but…”

“I’m sure you did. Besides, I want to see and talk to her.”

“You, Kokoa?”

“Yes. There is something I, Kokoa-chan, wanted to tell her. If we aren’t going to eat lunch together anymore, I won’t be able to, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to visit her.”

“But even if we’re going to visit her, I don’t know where she lives.”

We didn’t even exchange LINE after all.

When I thought about it, I didn’t even know what class she was in for the first year.

“Hotaru-chan did some research for me.”

“Kasugai did?”

“Actually, after I went to the infirmary, I talked to Hotaru-chan on LINE. I asked her if she could tell me where she lived, in case Yu wanted to visit her.”

“Why did you think I would want to visit her?”

“I can tell by the way you look that you are worried about her. Really, you looked so troubled.”

Did I look that scared?

“But how did Kasugai know about Reika-chan’s house?”

“She got in touch with Yamada-san, who was in your class and said she went to the same junior high school as Reika.”

“I see.”

It seems that I have given Kasugai a lot of trouble. I guess that I need to thank her.

“That’s why I have Reika’s address. Fortunately, Hanamori-Sensei said that her health has returned to normal, so I thought it wouldn’t be too much trouble for her. If she seems annoyed, I’ll just go home.”

Surely, if she seems annoyed, I will withdraw as well.

It’s not like I can do any miracles just because I met her a few times. I just want to see her face, somehow. I know that she is safe, but my heart still wants the reassurance that she is not dead.

I see. 

This is what it means by trauma and flashbacks. It seems that the memory of the day my senior died had been deeply imprinted in my mind. So much so that I didn’t even realize it.

On the way, she bought some pudding at a grocery store in the downtown area to take home as a gift. Checking the map on my phone, we walked in the opposite direction from my home. It seems to be quite a distance. 

It’s going to be hard to get back home.

After about twenty minutes of walking, we reached a deserted residential area. 

On the outskirts, Kokoa stopped in front of a large mansion with a garden.

“It’s big, but it looks like this house. It has a nameplate that says ‘Shiki’ on it. Let’s ring the bell.”

Could it be that Reika-chan comes from a wealthy family?

Kokoa rings the intercom attached to the gate in front of the garden.

After a while, I heard the sound of the call connecting. 

“Yes, this is the Shiki Residence.”

“Reika-chan, is it? I’m Kokoa Shirayuki.”

“What? Shirayuki-senpai? Why are you at my house?”

“Yu is here too. We came to visit you. If you’re not feeling well, we can just leave you a gift and go home.”

“It’s not a bother at all. Please wait a minute. I’ll unlock the gate.”

I heard the gate unlock with a click. We walked along the path and stopped in front of the large, mountain-blue door. Then I heard a slamming sound from inside, and the door opened with great force.

What emerged from inside was Reika wearing a light green pyjama.

“Wow, it’s really the seniors. How did you know about my house?”

“Sorry, there are many reasons for that…”

She was alive.

Reika was alive and well.

I couldn’t help but feel emotional as I looked at her. With a tightening pain in my chest, tears almost spilled out, and I hurriedly looked up. Everything was automatic. It was a conditioned reflex.

“What’s wrong, Senpai? Is there something wrong? Is there something upstairs?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Come to think of it, the first day I met Reika, I was pretty confused too.

It seems that I have been more traumatized by Senpai’s death than I thought.

“At any rate, please come inside. I’ll show you to my room.”

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