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

Chapter 13: The Invisible Collar

“……”

—After kicking Amano-kun and Renji out of the family restaurant.

I once again looked at the beautiful classmate sitting before me.

—Yukimura Mizuki.

The most beautiful girl in our school, the one everyone admires—a flower on a high peak.

This was actually the first time I’d ever spoken with her one-on-one.

Last year, we were in different classes, and even though we were in the same class this year, we hadn’t interacted much.

But now, looking at her up close…

(…She’s so stunning, it’s almost scary…)

There wasn’t a single flaw in her appearance.

Her features were perfectly symmetrical, following the golden ratio.

Her skin was flawless, and every single detail of her face was breathtakingly beautiful.

Combined with her otherworldly aura, she looked like a goddess or a fairy.

(…No wonder Amano-kun would hesitate…)

Expecting someone to match her was simply cruel.

No, forget Amano-kun—was there anyone in our school who could even come close to her?

Even Renji Miyama, the most confident flirt in our grade, was completely nervous when he confessed to her.

—Which is why I didn’t understand.

Why would someone like her choose Amano-kun?

Not that I looked down on Amano-kun.

But she could’ve had anyone. Someone much higher up.

(…If Amano-kun is being tricked or played with…)

If that happens… I’ll have to stop it.

Even though I was rejected, he’s still someone I cared about.

“…Kashiwagi-san?”

Her voice brought me back to my senses.

When I looked up, Yukimura-san was staring at me curiously.

“Oh… uh, sorry! I spaced out…”
“It’s fine… Um, so…”

Yukimura-san hesitated, struggling to find the words.

…Seeing her like this was rare.

She was usually expressionless, like a doll.

…Was it because this involved her boyfriend?

“…It’s about Amano-kun.”

I braced myself before asking her again.

I swallowed hard.

“You’re dating him, right?”
“—Yes.”

She gave a small nod.

That confirmation shocked me once more.

“…Did you confess to him?”
“Yes… I did.”
“…What?”

Anyone who knew her would share my feelings in this moment.

—Impossible.

Yukimura Mizuki.

The unreachable flower on the peak.

…Confessed to a boy herself?

“…Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why… Amano-kun?”

It might’ve sounded rude.

But I had to ask.

Someone as perfect as her.

Why, of all people, Amano-kun?

“Yukimura-san, you could’ve dated a celebrity if you wanted. So why Amano-kun…”

I couldn’t say I wasn’t jealous.

I could feel my emotions slipping into my words.

But Yukimura-san…

“—Because I love him.”

She said it quietly, with a calm smile.

Her answer was so simple, yet so unbelievable that I froze.

“There’s no other reason.”
“…What?”

I gaped at her like a fool, stunned.

It took me a full minute to process what she’d said.

And in the confusion swirling in my mind, only one thought remained.

(…Is this really Yukimura-san…?)

She was always distant, looking bored.

She never seemed attached to anything—the untouchable goddess.

…And yet, here she was saying, “I love him.”

“…Is it because you’re childhood friends?”

Desperate, I clung to that idea, but Yukimura-san only gave a small, pitying smile.

As if my assumption was completely off the mark.

“…Even if I explain it, I don’t think you’d understand. But for me, there’s only Iori.”

No one else had ever crossed her mind.

Without a hint of hesitation, she declared it.

Once again, I was left reeling.

If this was an act, she deserved an award.

But… it wasn’t an act.

(She’s serious…)

I could feel it, no matter how much I wanted to look away.

I couldn’t deny it.

…This person’s words were entirely genuine.

(…Ah… Why does it have to be her…)

Why does it have to be this person?

Why does it have to be Amano-kun?

Couldn’t it have been someone else?

Why did fate give me such an unbeatable rival?

It was irrational. Unfair.

It wasn’t something I could brush off as bad luck.

I took a sip of my coffee; it was already cold now. I didn’t want to look at her beautiful, composed face anymore.

The coffee was bitter than usual, so I stopped drinking after the second sip.

“…I see. You’re such a spoiled one, Amano-kun.”

The words that escaped my lips sounded like petty jealousy.

Yukimura-san slightly lowered her eyebrows in response to my remark.

“…Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“For hiding that we’re dating.”
|
“Oh…”

…Of course, I had braced myself for this topic to come up.

But the conversation before it was so shocking that I couldn’t switch my thoughts fast enough.

“Kashiwagi-san… do you still like Iori?”

“…!”

I froze at the question, failing to answer immediately. A fatal mistake.

I knew it was coming. Yet, I couldn’t reply right away.

“Of course not. I’ve already moved on since he rejected me.”

“…Really?”

“Y-Yeah! Besides, I’d never dream of competing with you, Yukimura-san! There’s no way I could win!”

I said it with a playful laugh.

…Half of it was true.

If anyone were to compare me to Yukimura-san, they’d always choose her.

I don’t mean to put myself down, but it’s just a fact.

Clenching my hands unconsciously, I tried to smooth things over with hollow words.

“…I see.”

Yukimura-san nodded slightly, her face as expressionless as always.

…I wondered if I had managed to smile properly.

I prayed inwardly that my face didn’t look awkwardly stiff.

“I’m glad… I was hoping I could be friends with you, Kashiwagi-san.”

“…Huh?”

At first, I didn’t understand what she had said.

Staring blankly ahead, I saw her usual expressionless face.

…Friends?

Was this some kind of joke?

“…W-Why?”

I was certain she’d tell me to stay away from her.

How could the girl whose boyfriend I confessed to want to be friends with me?

“Anyone who cared enough to like Iori… I think I could get along with them.”

As she said this, she gently extended her hand toward me.

“…Of course, only if you’re okay with it, Kashiwagi-san.”

Seeing me frozen in place, she smiled awkwardly.

I didn’t know how to respond, and my hand wavered.

(…Why? Why would Yukimura-san and I… be friends?)

We’re supposed to be rivals in love.

No, I had already said I’d moved on.

In that case… there was no reason to refuse.

I racked my brain, desperately searching for a reason to turn down her offer.

For some reason, I felt like I should.

But this was Yukimura-san.

She wasn’t just popular among boys; even girls adored her. Making an enemy of her would be…

“…”

I gulped.

She still held out her hand.

And in the end, I couldn’t think of a single excuse.

“If you’re okay with me…”

I hesitantly took her hand.

Yukimura-san’s face lit up with a soft, beautiful smile.

“—Thank you.”

That smile was more radiant than anything I’d ever seen before.

I couldn’t help but be captivated, still holding her hand.

—After that, we killed time chatting about trivial things.

“…So, Yukimura-san, how long have you been working at that café?”

“Um… About a week, I think.”

We talked about her part-time job, school, and hobbies.

Yukimura-san didn’t say much, but she listened to me attentively.

She even smiled occasionally. That made me a little happy.

Ah… I really can’t compete with her, can I?

I started to feel that way when—

“—Hey, are you guys done talking?”

A carefree voice cut in from the side, interrupting our conversation.

“—Well, we’re heading this way, then.”

“Oh, o-okay.”

“Man, even knowing it’s true, I’m still jealous! You owe me something next time, Iori!”

—After leaving the family restaurant.

Yukimura-san was with Amano-kun.

And I was left to walk with Renji.

As I watched the two of them walking closely together, I pressed my aching chest.

While Renji and I walked to the station—

“…Man, that was a shock, huh? Never thought Iori would… you know.”

He spoke as if it still didn’t feel real.

“…You liked Yukimura-san, didn’t you? Are you okay with this?”

“Well, it wasn’t really love. More like admiration, you know? Like looking at an idol.”

He chuckled bitterly, adding that his “idol” had ended up with his best friend.

“I’m a bit bummed, but since it’s Iori…”

“And what about it being Amano-kun?”

“Well, I gotta root for him. I talked to him earlier; he’s head over heels.”

Hearing Renji’s resigned laugh, my chest ached again.

“…What’s this? Are you secretly a good friend?”

“Secretly? What’s that supposed to mean? I’m always like this.”

“No way. You’re nothing like that.”

We joked around as we walked to the station.

But one thing kept echoing in my head—her words.

“—Iori is all I have.”

…What did she mean by that?

“…By the way.”

“Yeah?”

“How did you even find out about that café?”

For some reason, I became curious.

Where did Renji hear about the “beautiful employee” at the café?

“Oh? A girl I met on social media told me about it.”

“…What? Have you met her in person?”

“Nope. I don’t even know her real name or face.”

“…And you trust her?”

…This guy’s definitely going to fall for a scam someday.

The thought crossed my mind vaguely.

“A girl you recently met online, whose name and face you don’t know…”

“Why didn’t you invite her instead of me?”

“She turned me down. But she said going as a guy alone might be awkward.”

“…Huh? There were plenty of men alone there.”

“…Yeah, I noticed that too.”