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 65 : Trick of Fate

Chapter 65 : Trick of Fate

Outing with Rion… It was almost like a date now.

I didn’t intend to play the mischievous part, but when I mentioned that it felt like a date with Rion, she just smiled and said, “Yes, it does.”

‘…Rion mentioned something like this before, didn’t she?’

I can’t quite accept being looked at with such a gentle smile for saying something like that. But well, it’s probably better than being teased in a weird way.

“Hey, Nagi-kun?”

“What?”

“This is the first time I’ve directly asked something like this — Have I grown quite a bit compared to my past self?”

Looking up at me, Rion still had the same smiling face. However, as she said those words, the strength in the arms hugging me increased. In other words, as her body pressed against me more, my arms sank into her curves…

‘Certainly, it’s the first time she’s asked like this, but… well, yeah, it’s natural to grow compared to before!’

It’s a fact that both men and women grow with the passage of time as living beings.

“…Your height hasn’t changed much, though.”

“…Oh my, Nagi-kun, you always try to evade the topic like that. But, I can sense that you were taken aback, you know?”

Uh-oh, Rion’s sadistic switch might have been turned on. But after that, there was nothing for me to worry about. Rion genuinely enjoyed the current situation, to the point where I almost wanted to thank her for being with me. Her smile was that radiant.

“By the way, if I were to say you’ve become a good girl, wouldn’t that be creepy?”

“Why’s that? It might feel weird if someone you don’t know or someone you’re not close to says that, but Nagi-kun, you’re my childhood friend. We’re close in terms of emotional distance, and if someone like you compliments me, I’d be happy, you know?”

“…I guess so.”

Naturally talking about emotional distance… Today, I was completely at Rion’s mercy.

“Nagi-kun, you’re a good guy too.”

“…When it comes to being a good guy or a good girl, it suddenly takes on an adult scent.”

“Indeed… why is that?”

Maybe it’s a matter of phrasing…? Well, while discussing such things, we continued to enjoy the bustling crowd. With so many people around, there might be others who came from afar, but it felt unusual not to encounter anyone we knew.

“Nobody likes acquaintances or anything.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I think everyone is probably out enjoying themselves, but even acquaintances from middle school… Oh.”

“Huh?”

Oops, speaking of the devil.

Three boys and three girls who were walking ahead of us caught our eyes—each of them was a former classmate from middle school.

We knew their faces and names, but our relationship didn’t go beyond that. This kind of casual acquaintance situation might not be unusual for students, after all.

“Do you want to do something?”

“I don’t have particularly close ties with them, so I’ll leave it to you, Nagi-kun.”

“I see. Then we don’t have to greet them… I haven’t really talked to them much either.”

And so, we chose not to approach them. Nevertheless, they already caught sight of us, and the expressions on their faces were universally surprised. One of the guys even had his eyes wide open in a tremendous shock — probably because of Rion.

‘…Come to think of it, he’s the guy who confessed to Rion in our first year.’

No, I remembered it clearly. Rion rejected his confession, and after that, with Rion being hospitalized and us not meeting during that time… even after she was discharged, I doubt he had any conversation with her. There was an encounter, but we merely passed by without exchanging words.

“If they were close classmates, it might be nice to talk to them.”

“That’s true. Maybe we’ll meet someone familiar this way.”

“That could be fun too.”

Even though we exchanged such words, we continued walking through the crowded area, enjoying the unique bustle of the consecutive holidays.

▽▼▽▼▽

I thought the day would end just by spending time with Rion. Even though it was a different daily life from the usual, with Rion by my side, I didn’t think it would be boring. It would be just enjoyable… that’s what I thought.

“Fufu, thank you, Rokudo-kun!”

“…..”

By my side wasn’t Rion but Saijo-san. It’s not like I’m ignoring Rion to be with Saijo-san; there’s a reason for this situation. She’s… smiling. She looks happy… but I can’t help but think, why is she able to smile?

“Saijo-san.”

“What’s up?”

“I understand your perspective. In a way, you might be doing this to find your prince charming, right?”

“Exactly. But I never expected Rokudo-kun to help me like this.”

“Hey, why are you able to laugh?”

“…Eh?”

“I consider us friends now. Partly because you get along with Rion, and even though it’s tiring at times, our interactions are enjoyable. With that said… I understand your perspective, but even if it’s unintentional, what if things go wrong? Do you think it’s okay to laugh, knowing you might end up worrying your good friends just because your values are like this? “

“…Uh, Rokudo-kun?”

Why did it turn out like this? To understand, we need to go back a little in time. But for now, I’m a little annoyed or, rather, willing to be seen as a troublesome guy if it means her captivating smile would be less irritating. Reflecting on our interactions, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : Zenon#4120