The case where I was gradually getting buried in the heavy love of my childhood friend who had miraculously recovered from their illness was perfect! - Chapter 19 : The Outside and the Inside

Nagisa and Rion are very close to each other.

Even those who don’t know them well can see how close they are.

“Seriously, they’re so close it’s almost envy-inducing.”

For Nagisa, a classmate, and for Rion, a friend — Asumi Mana murmured with a smile.

“What’s wrong? You started laughing all of a sudden.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It can’t be nothing, can it? You were watching Rion and Rokudo-kun.”

“…If you already know, there’s no need to ask.”

Mana sighed as she playfully teased her friend.

In Mana’s line of sight, Nagisa and Rion were exchanging words and their strong bond, cultivated over the years, was evident.

Rion spoke elegantly, with her hand over her mouth, while Nagisa, with a troubled expression, seemed to be pushed into a corner.

Mana had liked watching them ever since she became close with Rion in their first year.

“Asumi-san, would you like to be friends? I think we could have a good relationship.”

The moment Rion and Mana became friends began with those words.

At that time, Mana had been going through a difficult family situation and had built some walls around herself. Rion approached her and offered friendship. Mana’s initial impression was, “Who is this princess-like girl?”

“We… have become really good friends, haven’t we?”

Of course, there were more moments of them getting even closer since that beginning. Her words were comforting and had a hint of fragility.

Knowing her, Mana wanted to support and protect her no matter what, but she had relinquished the role of a knight serving a princess.

Because he was there for her.

“Hey, what are they talking about?”

“I don’t know. Based on their expressions, Rion is probably presenting an inescapable argument to Rokudo, and he can’t escape.”

“Oh, that’s likely! I’m really curious!”

“Be patient.”

Protecting the princess-like Rion was Nagisa, her knight. But Nagisa didn’t know that there was one time when Mana almost crossed the line with Rion.

It wasn’t a serious question about whether Nagisa was reliable or not; it was more of a casual remark. But it unexpectedly triggered an overwhelming sense of intimidation from Rion, something Mana had never anticipated.

At that moment, Mana understood it clearly. To Rion, Nagisa was an enormously significant and extraordinary presence. Rion was not an ordinary girl.

“Rokudo-kun, you’re doing a great job.”

“Really?”

Nagisa seemed to have reached her limit of listening to Rion’s remarks and started a counterattack. He placed her hand on Rion’s head and ruffled her neatly styled black hair.

Rion tried desperately to remove Nagisa’s hand, but there was no way she could compete with a boy’s strength. However, Mana thought, “Well, if that’s the case, just let go,” but that would be too unsophisticated.

“We can’t do what they’re doing.”

“That’s right. Because we know how much trouble it is to maintain our hairstyles every day.”

“Even though Rokudo should understand that… Look at his face.”

Nagisa was grinning happily, skillfully teasing Rion, who couldn’t fight back.

“Rion… You seem to be enjoying it, don’t you?”

“Yes. She’s having a lot of fun.”

On the surface, Rion struggled desperately to remove Nagisa’s hand, but she couldn’t. However, beneath the surface, Mana and others noticed her expression of frustration. Rion was indeed having fun playing around with Nagisa.

Most people might consider the behavior of a boy and a girl of their age not suitable, but it seemed that Rion and her childhood friend had a special bond.

“It might be even scarier if they were actually dating.”

“That’s true! Rion is perfect in many ways, but Rokudo-kun is easy to see as a bit of a klutz.”

“Yeah…”

Still, that was also a charming side of Rion. She was indeed perfect and seemed like a genius in many ways, but she was human and had her flaws. Having a childhood friend like Nagisa added a touch of romance to her life.

“It seems like it’ll be the same in high school as it was in middle school… Well, I’ll be happy to continue watching as a friend.”

That’s what Mana thought as she looked forward to the future.

After another day of school without boredom, thanks to Rion, Nagisa, and her friends, Mana returned home.

She had always found it difficult to accept, but she was gradually starting to embrace the idea. It was a place where she could be herself through her school life… her home.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

▽▼▽▼▽▼

Anyone who knew Rion would likely describe her as a delicate and beautiful girl.

In addition to her good looks, she was intelligent and had a good personality. Her only downside was her lack of physical activity. Apart from that, she was almost perfect.

“Tohsaka-san is so beautiful.”

“Tohsaka-san is smart.”

“Tohsaka-san is amazing.”

“Tohsaka-san has a great style.”

Unless something happens to make Rion feel hostile, she is generally greeted with mostly positive words. That’s why she attracted the attention and affections of many boys.

“Was that really my fault…”

“Hmm?”

“Eh…”

For a change, Ito was walking alone in the corridor, right in front of Rion. When their eyes met, he awkwardly averted his gaze. It was a sight Rion had never seen when he had bothered her or when he had tangled with Nagisa. It was as if he had been cast down from heaven to reality.

“…..”

“…..”

Rion had no business with Ito, and even if he were to address her, she wouldn’t respond. As if to confirm that, she didn’t utter a word until she passed Ito. However, Ito must have been in disbelief.

“Ito-san.”

Rion called Ito’s name, and her clear yet somehow intimidating voice made Ito flinch. It was true that he had originally liked Rion. However, his affection was driven by possessiveness, and that’s why it hadn’t gone his way, leading him to bear a grudge against Rion. It was a troublesome situation, but Nagisa had steadfastly protected Rion throughout.

“I have someone more important to me than myself. If you try to hurt them, I will never forgive you. I will definitely make you pay.”

“Tohsaka-san?”

“I said I have someone more important than myself, but I don’t plan to sacrifice myself. Because I know that doing so would make the person I care about sad.”

“…..”

There was no room for further words. Ito couldn’t tear his gaze away from Rion. Rion had been facing away from Ito all along, but now she turned to him, and Ito saw desire swirling in her eyes.

“I won’t allow anyone to interfere with us, to hurt him. I won’t allow him to have a gloomy expression when I’m around. He must keep smiling, always, because he is the one who saved me….”

The desire that was about to spill was suddenly stopped. Rion looked surprised as if she didn’t know what she was about to say, but she quickly changed her expression.

“Anyway, you’re lucky. If I had directly intervened, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

Ito had nothing more to say. He was completely engulfed by the atmosphere Rion exuded. Rion, who no longer had anything to say, walked back to the classroom. The person she saw in her field of vision, of course, was Nagisa.

“Nagi-kun!”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

She didn’t have any particular reason; she just wanted to join in the conversation with her friends.

Even though she had things on her mind about Nagisa’s friends moving away, Rion simply savored the happiness of having him right in front of her.

“Nagi-kun, what are you doing?”

“Hmm? What about it?”

“You’re acting weirdly lively today.”

“Are you picking a fight with me, you idiot!”

As the outstretched hand moved towards her head, Rion didn’t avoid it. After all, it was the hand of the person she wanted to protect, the person she wanted to be with even at the cost of eternity.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : Zenon#4120