The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together

Chapter 12: My Herbivorous Best Friend Turned Out to Be…

——The moment I saw their faces.

I realized how merciless this world could be.

“…Eh… Y-Yukimura-san?”

“No way… wait, Amano-kun too? Why are you here?”

“…”

“…Ah…”

The two of them, trembling, pointed their fingers at me.

Renji Miyama and Koto Kashiwagi.

Why are they here?

Why are those two together?

There are so many questions I want to ask, but for now…

(…This is game over, isn’t it?)

I looked up at the ceiling.

Ah, I’m done for… Why?

Even though this place is far from school, why did they sense it and come here?

It’s probably Renji’s fault. I underestimated his instincts when it comes to beautiful women. Damn it.

While I was drowning in despair, completely forgetting about work, Mizuki…

“Excuse me. A table for two, is that correct?”

…She calmly continued serving the customers.

Amazing. Truly Yukimura Mizuki. To remain unfazed even in a situation like this.

Well, that’s just like her, I suppose.

It’s always been like this with her.

But still, wouldn’t most people panic even a little?

“Eh, ah, yes…”

“A table for two…”

Even so, the two nodded hesitantly at Mizuki’s neutral demeanor.

“Then please follow me to your table.”

Guided by Mizuki, the two sat at a table.

Right after that, they shot me intense looks.

(…Iori.)

(…Amano-kun.)

^[1]Get over here. Now.

…Of course.

Under their sharp gazes, I stopped washing dishes and reluctantly walked over to their table.

“…Yes?”

“What’s going on? Why are you working here with Yukimura-san!?”

“Yeah, explain. Explain it now.”

“…Uh…”

What should I do?

No, there’s nothing I can do.

Do I have to explain this…?

“…Can it wait until after my shift?”

For now, I asked for a stay of execution.

And so, after my shift ended, we gathered at a nearby family restaurant.

“…Oh, so it was just a coincidence that your part-time jobs ended up being at the same place!”

“Y-Yeah, exactly!”

The four of us sat in a corner booth.

Renji and Kashiwagi-san had stayed at the shop until my shift ended.

Renji glared at us with red eyes.

Kashiwagi-san stared with a complicated expression.

…Those two hours were pure hell.

After work, the interrogation began at the family restaurant…

“…You realize how flimsy that excuse sounds, don’t you, Iori-kun?”

“Ugh…”

I thought I might have a chance to bluff my way out, but it didn’t work.

Renji, his eyes completely devoid of laughter, leaned in closer.

“Let’s just get this over with. Spill everything. I can tell—there’s something ‘off’ about you and Yukimura-san.”

“…”

“To be honest, I’m scared to hear it. I’m about to pee myself. But if I leave without asking, I’ll regret it even more. Right, Kashiwagi-chan?”

“Well, yeah. I’d like an explanation too.”

Kashiwagi-san glanced briefly at Mizuki, who was sitting beside me.

However, she maintained her usual composed, indifferent demeanor.

(…So she’s leaving this to me.)

Well, that’s just like her.

She doesn’t care either way—whether I talk or stay silent.

I looked at the two sitting across from me.

If it were strangers, I’d have no reason to confide, but these two…

(Can I trust them…? Is that naive?)

Taking a deep breath, I resolved myself.

There’s no escaping this situation.

If it’s come to this, I’ll just face it head-on.

“Alright… I’ll tell you.”

“Y-Yeah, let’s hear it!”

“…”

The tension in the family restaurant was palpable.

Is this place supposed to feel this stressful?

I told them everything.

As I spoke, their faces contorted in a variety of expressions.

Eventually, after hearing the entire story…

“No… way…”

“…”

“Hey… Kashiwagi-chan? Pinch my cheek, will you?”

“No.”

Renji froze in shock.

Beside him, Kashiwagi-san sank into the sofa, looking as if her soul had left her body.

“So… to summarize…”

“…Yeah.”

“You and Yukimura-san are childhood friends? Your houses are next to each other? You’ve been living practically together for years, but she confessed to you recently, and now you’re officially dating…?”

“…Yeah.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“…I don’t think it is either.”

“…”

“…”

An excruciating silence followed.

Enough time for a whole melon soda to be finished.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, I was about to speak when…

“Ugh…”

“Ugh?”

“…I’M SO JEALOUS!!!”

“…What?”

Suddenly, Renji’s eyes widened, and he stood up with a jolt.

“You…! You!!! What’s with that ridiculous luck?! That’s not fair!!!”

He grabbed my shirt and shook me violently.

“St-Stop…! Hey, quit it!”

“Do you even realize it?! That’s Yukimura Mizuki!!! The idol of every guy at our school!!! I… I even… GAHHHH!!!”

Terrifying.

I tried to calm Renji down, but he was completely out of control.

As he continued shaking me, Kashiwagi-san kicked him in the shin.

“Ow!?”

“Calm down, idiot. Don’t cause a scene in the family restaurant.”

“Ugh… Aren’t you mad about this?! Iori dating Yukimura-san is ridiculous!”

“Well, I was surprised, of course. But that’s why we’re listening to his explanation, aren’t we?”

“Urgh…”

I sighed in relief at Kashiwagi-san’s relatively calm demeanor.

But… why do her eyes look so scary?

“By the way…”

“W-What?”

Renji pointed a trembling finger at me.

“Have you two… already done it?”

“…Huh?”

Done what?

I was confused for a moment but quickly realized what he meant.

You idiot…

At the same time, Mizuki and I both averted our eyes.

Seeing that, Renji…

“You… YOU!!!”

“Gahhh!!!”

“Seriously?! No way!!! Tell me it’s not true!!!”

He shook me again, this time with earthquake-like intensity.

Stop it! The melon soda I drank is coming back up!

“My best friend, who I thought was a herbivorous guy, lost his virginity to the school’s idol…!!!”

“…”

What kind of ridiculous rom-com title is that?

And stop shouting. People are staring.

“But… I’m surprised too.”

Forgetting to retort to Renji’s antics, Kashiwagi-san muttered in disbelief.

“I mean, I thought it was unlikely, but… really?”

Her gaze shifted to Mizuki, not me.

But Mizuki remained unfazed.

With her usual neutral expression, she silently endured the attention.

Meanwhile, Renji glared at me bitterly.

“Iori…! I thought we were friends…! You knew how I felt about Yukimura-san, and yet…!”

“…”

His words made me grimace.

That… I can’t deny.

I know I’ve done something unforgivable.

Apologizing won’t be enough, but if he wants to hit me, I’m willing to take one punch.

“…Renji.”

As I prepared to speak, Kashiwagi-san interjected.

“Oh, Amano-kun. I’m not defending him, but this guy confessed to me the day after he confessed to Yukimura-san, so don’t worry about it.”

“What?”

“T-That’s irrelevant right now!”

Her shocking statement left me stunned.

Wait, seriously? Renji confessed to Kashiwagi-san?

“He’ll confess to any cute girl, so don’t take it seriously.”

“Hey, Kashiwagi-chan?! That’s harsh!”

“Wait… Renji and Kashiwagi-san…?”

What kind of relationship do they have?

I never thought they were particularly close.

“Oh… yeah. We went to the same middle school. We’re just old acquaintances, so don’t get any weird ideas.”

Kashiwagi-san spoke with a tone of utter distaste.

Renji collapsed in response.

“You didn’t have to go that far! We’re pretty close, aren’t we?”

“Well, compared to other guys… but there’s zero romantic feelings involved.”

Kashiwagi-san’s blunt words cut deep.

She’s usually kind, so seeing her be so curt was rare.

…Maybe it’s because of Renji’s behavior.

“But to think my rival would be Yukimura-san… I never stood a chance.”

Kashiwagi-san chuckled wryly while looking at Mizuki.

As I struggled to find a response, she turned to me.

“Hey, Amano-kun.”

“Huh? Y-Yes?”

“Sorry, but could you leave me alone with Yukimura-san for a bit?”

“Eh…”

“I just want to talk to her. Is that okay?”