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!

“So, Nagi-kun… Nagi-kun?”

In the evening, I headed to her house to return Rion’s favor… and at this parting, I felt a little lonely.

Strange… Today, I’m feeling really strange.

It wasn’t like this in the morning, but after our conversation during the day, I somehow became unsettled.

‘…It’s as if I’ve been fully accepted by Rion, including the fact that I was reincarnated in this world. Even though there’s no way she has such intentions, those words continue to resonate in my mind.’

Probably… that alone made me happy.

Rion and I are childhood friends… She said we’re the same, and I was happy that she thought so strongly of us.

We often talk, or rather, she says a lot of things to me, but she’s always gentle… Feeling her kindness, my heart truly warms up.

“Nagi-kun, what’s really going on?”

Rion quietly stood in front of me.

Looking up at me with her usual beautiful face, she was still wearing the beret I gave her.

It’s hard to find a moment when she’s not wearing the beret outside.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Could it be that you’re lonely?”

“Huh!?”

Lonely… I unintentionally raised my voice when she hit the nail on the head like that.

Rion giggled, placing her hand on her mouth, and even if I try to play it off, it doesn’t seem to make much sense… Well, it’s not a big deal if she realizes I’m lonely, right? No, no, it’s still embarrassing.

“It seems like my words hit you pretty hard, huh?”

“……..”

“Hehe~, maybe I should stop here.”

Saying that, Rion stood in front of me and continued speaking, placing her hand on her cheek.

“Remember the words I told you, that we will be together forever, right? Just as Nagi-kun thinks of me as an important part of his life, I feel the same way.”

“I get it… Jeez, we are childhood friends after all.”

“That’s right. We’re bound by a thick bond that can’t be cut.”

After that exchange between us, I distanced myself from Rion’s house.

I casually made sure she entered the house before leaving; well, it’s a sense of duty to see it through to the end.

“I never thought it would turn out like this… Rion’s presence is really something.”

Saying that with a wry smile, I walked the way home.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

“Hey, Nagisa.”

“Yeah?”

“…It got pretty noisy, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it did.”

“But, but! That was quite a sight, don’t you think!”

On the school day after the holiday, it was lively from morning.

In the direction the guys were looking, of course, there were Rion and the others, and there were unfamiliar faces that had never been there before.

“It’s not bad to come to the class next door like this~♪ Even more so when I enjoy your company Rion-chan!”

Yep, it’s none other than Saijo-san.

As a gravure idol, of course, but there are also many charms you can notice by spending school life with her.

Because of that, Saijo-san’s popularity has been steadily rising even now.

Not only the boys in this class but also boys from her class and other classes, she is popular enough that they would sneak a peek into the classroom.

“I didn’t think those two were so close.”

“Well, a lot happened.”

There really was a lot.

Everyone seems curious about what happened, especially concerning Saijo-san, but I didn’t feel like talking about her.

It’s not that I think it’s unnecessary to say or not, but somehow, it seems better to keep quiet about this kind of thing.

“But the reactions of the girls in Saijo-san’s class are pretty obvious, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, Saijo-san is active as an idol, right? Some girls might feel benefits from being friendly with her. It might be the case for guys too, but…”

“Hmm…”

“Girls are scary…”

Seeking only benefits from being friends can be tiring, but… well, there are various types of people. What kind of benefits can you get by being friends with Westjo-san?

“Ask Wada-kun, who knows a lot about idols.”

“Ask me anything, Rokudo-kun.”

“What benefits can you get by being friends with Saijo-san?”

Wada-kun, asked about what I was thinking, responded as if he had been waiting for this.

“Well, of course, you might get closer to famous people who are acquaintances of Saijo-san, right? Some girls might aim for that? Of course, guys might too.”

“I see…”

“Of course, Saijo-san probably has acquaintances that are unique to her, but realistically, does it work out that well?”

“Doesn’t it not work out? From what I’ve researched, Saijo-san seems to thoroughly keep such things under wraps… So the people she gets along with are all genuinely friends, in the true sense.”

“Hmm… Did you really research that much?”

“It’s normal for this kind of thing.”

It’s not normal, we all retorted at once.

‘…I see.’

I look at Saijo-san, and she seems really happy.

While there may be a spiritual part seeking a prince charming, she’s not a strange person at all, and in fact, she’s quite smart.

That’s probably why even if you become close friends, if there’s a hidden agenda, she would probably cut ties right away… In that sense, the girls who expect benefits, as Wada-kun mentioned, will probably realize soon that it’s impossible and drift away.

“By the way, does Wada have any siblings?”

“I’m an only child. Ah, but I have someone like an older brother who’s been good to me since I was a kid.”

“Hmm?”

“That person is a really scary person, but very kind. Even though he looks like a yakuza, he got hooked on childhood friend romance because of me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I wonder why he got so hooked on it too.”

‘Yakuza-like face and is hooked on childhood romance… I really want to see what kind of person he is.’

Now then, there has been a change, with Saijo-san coming to our class often, but generally, nothing major has changed.

However… little did I know at that time that my interaction with her would bring about a change in me.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

If you are enjoying the translation, do rate the novel 5 stars on our site and novelupdates.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below!