The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Beautiful Girls With the Protagonist

“—What do I think about Yukimura-senpai…?”

It was our usual after-school gym training.

Asahi looked puzzled at my question during our break.

But then, her eyes suddenly widened.

“Of course! She’s beautiful, kind, cool…! My ideal, my role model!”

“…Well, yeah, I figured you’d say that.”

I sighed, realizing I had asked the wrong person.

—Ever since my conversation with Shizuka-san the other day,

I decided to get to know my childhood friend once again.

So, I tried asking a third party for their opinion…

“I had the chance to talk to her on the phone the other day! She was so kind and listened to everything I had to say…! I almost cried!”

Asahi spoke excitedly, completely immersed in the topic.

It seemed like her admiration had reached a concerning level.

…Wait, a phone call?

Since when were they that close?

“…Good for you.”

Yeah, asking her was pointless.

Just as I decided to return to my training…

“—Wait.”

A firm grip landed on my shoulder.

A bad—no, a troublesome feeling crept up.

“…What?”

“Senpai, I have a favor to ask.”

“No.”

I answered instantly.

Her grip on my shoulder tightened as if to stop me from escaping.

“…Senpai. You’ve really toned your body recently, haven’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

“You can lift heavier dumbbells now, can’t you?”

“…I guess.”

“And whose help do you think made that possible?”

—Déjà vu.

Something like this happened before.

“……”

“……”

We locked eyes, staring each other down.

Eventually, I let out a sigh.

“…What do you want me to do?”

“I’m glad you asked.”

And so, the next day after school…

“…So.”

“…Yeah.”

Asahi and I stood in the garden of a shopping mall.

“Why am I here too?”

“Th-There was no other way!”

—After what happened yesterday.

‘Please!! There’s no way I can be alone with Yukimura-senpai…!!’

‘Wait, what? You’re the one who invited her out, right?’

‘Yes, but! I never actually expected her to say yes…! I thought for sure she’d turn me down!’

‘…Seriously?’

—That conversation led to this.

Now, the two of us were waiting for Mitsuki at the meeting spot.

A meeting spot despite going to the same school?

It seemed unnecessary, but considering who she was, it made sense.

If the school’s Madonna casually went out with someone, the whole school would go crazy.

…But putting that aside.

“Don’t drag me into this.”

“C-Come on! You’re on a date with two pretty girls! You should be grateful!”

“You’re seriously saying that about yourself?”

Well, I couldn’t deny it.

She was cute, objectively speaking.

Still, saying it herself was another matter.

Just as I was about to roll my eyes…

“—Sorry for the wait.”

A voice called out from behind us.

Turning around, I saw a beauty who looked like an actress in her school uniform.

The moment she appeared, Asahi’s face lit up.

“—Onee-sama!!”

She—Yukimura Mitsuki—smiled as Asahi ran toward her excitedly.

…Wait… hold on.

“…Onee-sama?”

What the hell?

I turned to Mitsuki.

“…Somehow, that’s what she calls me now.”

She let out a troubled chuckle while patting Asahi’s head.

“More importantly, did I keep you waiting?”

“N-No, not at all! We just got here too! Right, Iori-senpai?!”

“…Yeah, sure.”

Asahi shot me a sharp glare, demanding agreement, so I reluctantly nodded.

“…Amano-kun, I’ll be in your care today too.”

“…Yeah.”

I averted my gaze from her smile.

Asahi glared at me again, but I ignored it.

“Alright, let’s go!”

With an overly cheerful Asahi leading the way, we entered the shopping mall.

While she was distracted for a moment, Mitsuki quietly whispered to me.

(…Why did you say yes to this?)

(What, was I not supposed to?)

(…No, it’s not that, but…)

I sighed and followed the two in front of me.

Inside the mall, they browsed clothes and accessories.

I had become nothing more than an escort, silently watching over them as they enjoyed themselves.

…But observing like this…

“—Ah! Onee-sama! What about this knit top?”

“…Hmm, it’s cute. I think it would suit you, Asahi-chan.”

“N-No way…!”

(…This is surprisingly normal.)

Mitsuki spending time with her junior after school—

She looked no different from any other high school girl.

…Guess I was overthinking it.

Remembering my conversation with Shizuka-san, I smiled wryly.

“Hey, Senpai! What are you doing?! Hurry up!”

“…Yeah, yeah.”

I sighed at the stark difference in how Asahi treated Mitsuki versus me.

Well, I figured I might as well stick with them for today.

“…Oh.”

As we wandered through the mall, Mitsuki suddenly stopped in front of an accessory shop.

Her gaze was fixed on a small star-shaped necklace.

“? Onee-sama? Something wrong?”

“Ah, no… it’s nothing.”

“…Are you interested in that necklace?”

At that question, Mitsuki hesitated for a moment, then nodded a little shyly.

“…Yeah, I just thought it was kind of cute.”

“…I see.”

After a brief silence, Asahi seemed to be thinking about something.

Then, after a moment…

“…Um, Onee-sama.”

“Hmm?”

Asahi fidgeted slightly, looking at Mitsuki with a nervous expression.

Mizuki tilted her head in curiosity at the scene.

“What’s wrong, Asahi-chan?”

“Uh, um… If it’s not a bother…”

She glanced at the accessory.

“Could I… give this to Onee-sama as a present?”

“…Huh?”

Both Mizuki and I froze at her words.

Asahi stared up at Mizuki with a completely serious expression.

“…Why?”

Mizuki asked curiously. Asahi smiled shyly.

“I… really admire Yukimura-senpai. Because of that, I started learning about hair care, fashion, and all sorts of things…”

She gently stroked her black hair.

Looking closely, her once energetic short hair had grown just a little longer.

“I’ve gained a bit of confidence. So, I guess this is my way of saying thank you…”

At those words, I instinctively glanced at the necklace’s price tag.

“…This is pretty expensive, you know?”

I couldn’t help but ask, wondering if she was sure about this.

For a moment, Asahi flinched but then quickly responded.

“I-It’s fine! I’ve been saving up my allowance for a while!”

“…I see.”

Determined not to back down, Asahi’s expression remained firm.

Mizuki, looking troubled, placed a finger on her chin.

After a moment, she sighed and gave a small, resigned smile.

“…Then how about we exchange gifts instead?”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll buy something you like too, Asahi-chan.”

It was clearly a compromise.

Realizing what Mizuki meant, Asahi’s face turned bright red.

“A-Are you sure…?”

“Yeah. I just got my part-time job pay the other day.”

Mizuki waved her wallet lightly, making Asahi look like she was on the verge of tears.

“T-Thank you so much!”

She quickly bowed her head.

…Well, as long as they were both satisfied, I guess it’s fine.

Any more comments from me would just be unnecessary. So, I kept my mouth shut.

As the two of them picked up their accessories—

(…Hm?)

From the corner of my vision—

A quiet, unnoticed spot inside the store—

(…This…)

A single accessory caught my eye.

—And just like that—

The strange little outing of the three of us came to an end.

“T-Thank you so much for today! I’ll remember this forever…!”

“Yeah. I had fun too.”

“Y-Yes! Also… Senpai, I’m sorry for dragging you along.”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

Despite everything, it had been fun.

Still overwhelmed with emotion, Asahi waved her hands enthusiastically before boarding the train.

After seeing her off, I let out a small sigh.

“…Shall we head home, Iori?”

“…Yeah.”

Mizuki quietly reached for my hand.

We were in a station where anyone could be watching.

But for some reason, I didn’t feel like pulling away.

We got on the train, rode it to our stop, and eventually reached home.

“…Mizuki.”

“Hm?”

Just as she was about to open the door, I called out to her.

She turned around, her long, glossy hair swaying gently.

I took out a small box from my pocket.

“…Here. If you’d like.”

“…Huh?”

Back at the accessory store where Mizuki and Asahi exchanged gifts—

There was one piece that had caught my attention.

A pair of crimson earrings that shone with an almost mysterious glow.

The moment I saw them, I thought—

—They would definitely suit her.

It wasn’t her birthday or anything.

Even as her boyfriend, this might seem weird.

But still, I couldn’t stop myself from buying them.

“…Wait, for me?”

“…Yeah.”

“……”

She hesitated slightly before carefully taking the box.

Slowly, she unwrapped it and looked inside.

Inside, she saw the deep crimson earrings—

“…I’m happy.”

She murmured softly.

“…What do I do? I’m so happy.”

“It’s really nothing special.”

“That’s not true.”

Mizuki stared at the earrings for a moment.

Then, as if handling something truly precious, she gently closed the box.

“…Thank you, Iori.”

Her voice trembled as if she was about to cry.