The 8th Lie Came From My Childhood Friend (Dropped) - Chapter 07
Volume 1 Chapter 007: Yanagisawa Risa, A Beautiful Chestnut-Haired Girl
On my way back from taking out the trash during my cleaning duty, as I was about to return to the classroom, I overheard two girls whispering in the stairwell.
“Huh? Did you really confess to Yaguchi senpai?”
Huh? Yaguchi? Could it be Yaguchi Kyotaro?
I involuntarily stopped in my tracks and stared at the girls there.
One was an incredibly beautiful girl with chestnut-colored, semi-long hair. The other was a petite girl with a clear-cut short bob. Both seemed to be first-year students, judging by the color of their uniform ribbons.
“Y-yeah… Because Maki-chan said there’s a girl who confessed to Yaguchi senpai, I got anxious.”
“I told you, wait until you get more details because that information seems suspicious.”
“B-but, who would think that he’d lie seven times?”
No mistake. They were talking about Yaguchi Kyotaro. I had just heard from my friends in the basketball club that Yaguchi had been lied to again on the rooftop today.
I couldn’t stay silent when even the newly enrolled junior girls were making fun of him.
“Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?”
When I called out to them, the two first-year girls looked at me with curiosity.
“?”
“Wait, what you were just talking about, was it Yaguchi Kyotaro from the second year? I’m Yanagisawa in the same class. He’s a really nice guy, you know? So, can you stop doing things like lying to him or hurting him?”
I was trying to look as stern as possible, and I said that, and the expression on the chestnut-haired beauty’s face changed completely.
“Well, I did confess to Yaguchi Kyotaro senpai for the eighth time; I’m Meiko Hikawa!”
Suddenly bombarded with hostility from a junior named Meiko Hikawa, I was bewildered.
“Huh? Um, we’re just friends… I guess?”
“Do friends really have to meddle so much in each other’s opposite-sex relationships? Could it be that you like Yaguchi senpai?”
With a cute face twisted into a demonic expression, Hikawa asked, and I hastily denied it.
“N-no, that’s not it. I have a boyfriend in the same club!”
“Phew. That’s a relief… Huh? But then, why…? Could it be that you’re the one who lied to Yaguchi senpai before?”
!!
I inadvertently covered my mouth with my hand and turned pale.
Hikawa stared at me intensely.
“Oh, is that so? In that case, it’s quite hypocritical for you to say that! Yaguchi had to go through so much pain because of girls like you, who lied to him and claimed to be pros at handling lies. He couldn’t believe my once-in-a-lifetime confession, all because of people like you! How are you going to make up for it? Grr, grrrr…!”
“Kyahh!”
She launched herself at me, but just as I thought she was about to attack, the short-haired friend managed to restrain her by holding her head.
“Ugh.”
“Hey, Meiko! Calm down! Um, it was Yanagisawa, right? Can you tell us your side of the story?”
Seated on the stairwell in order from right to left—myself, the girl with the short bob (apparently named Makiko Kasahara), and Meiko Hikawa—I recounted the entire story of the lies told to Yaguchi Kyotaro up until now.
At times, Hikawa seemed unable to contain herself and appeared like she was about to attack me, but each time, Kasahara managed to restrain her.
“Hey, Meiko, cut it out! I’m sorry about her. She’s not usually this aggressive, but when it comes to Yaguchi senpai, she loses all reason. There’s probably some jealousy involved too…”
“Ugh, ugh, why does Kyotaro end up with a girl like her… Stealing Kyotaro’s heart from middle school to high school, it’s too envy-inducing. But I lack the charm she has… A short-haired, sporty girl… An inherently outgoing person… A slender beauty with long limbs… Ahhh!”
“Alright, alright. Meiko, there, there, there, calm down, you good girl.”
“Kun-kun… Sniff, sniff.”
Hikawa, like a small dog being comforted by its owner, complained and lamented about me while Kasahara stroked her head.
Kind of… This girl is adorable, but isn’t she quite a mess? I thought that, and then in the next moment, she hit the nail on the head.
“Well, even though Yanagisawa senpai seems nicer than I thought, it doesn’t change the fact that she hurt Kyotaro by lying, right? Even if your friend pressured you, couldn’t you have just refused? Getting isolated in class and your boyfriend not believing your confession, that’s all your own doing! Yet, Kyotaro is too kind, trying to mediate your relationship with your boyfriend…”
“Hey, Meiko, that’s going too far…!”
Taking Hikawa’s words seriously, I nodded with a bitter expression.
“It’s fine. I think you’re right, Hikawa-san. I made a mistake. At that time, I was desperately trying to fit in with the new class, and when the central figure in the class suggested lying to the boys, I couldn’t say no. I was afraid of being seen as a killjoy and getting ostracized. I thought Yaguchi, who I’ve known since middle school, would understand if I explained later. I made a mistake, something I can’t apologize enough for. So, everything that happened afterward is my own fault. But Yaguchi helped me. That’s why I want to help Yaguchi now.”
I smiled as I was looking at Hikawa’s stern expression.
“I’m sorry for saying weird things earlier. Hikawa-san really, really loves Kyotaro, huh? You genuinely want to be his girlfriend.”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly… W-what are you saying…”
Turning bright red and getting flustered, Hikawa mumbled.
“Well, that’s natural, right?”
Wholeheartedly acknowledging her as a maiden in love, I nodded vigorously.
“Yeah! So, if that’s the case, I’ll help Hikawa-san and Kyotaro become a lovey-dovey couple!”
Hikawa widened her eyes.
“Whaat? Are you serious? Spare me from your help! I haven’t fallen so low as to seek help from the first liar!”
With a dismissive remark, Hikawa shot me a glance filled with animosity, and I responded with a wickedly smiling face. In the love story between Yaguchi and Hikawa, I, the liar, played the role of the villain. You might as well embrace the role and play it to the hilt!
“Oh, really? Is it okay then? Hikawa-san might be childhood friends with Kyotaro, but do you really know much about his current situation? Do you want to hear about the information from the first to the seventh liar? I can tell you everything I know. We can work together to come up with a plan. We’re in the same basketball club, and we’re classmates. There’s a lot we can do together, you know?”
“Ugh, ugh.”
With her face all crinkled up, Hikawa was torn. Kasahara elbowed her in the side.
“It’s not something I could have hoped for. Come on, Meiko!”
“Ugh, ugh. Please, help me…”
Hikawa, looking dejected and regretful, lowered her head. Seeing that, I grinned.
“Sure thing!”