We are pretending....right? - Chapter 0- Prologue!

“Oh, so it’s true that Kabura-kun invited you.”

“Yes, but I can’t go. I have to help my mother tomorrow.”

I lied to my best friend that I have some errands tomorrow even though I was free. It was because the person who invited only me for a study session was my best friend’s long-time crush.

Ryota Kabura.

He is an extroverted famous guy who participates in sports and is brilliant in his study as well. I, the girl beside me, Akari and Kabura-kun have been friends since the orientation of our first year.

We three have other acquaintances as well but we always like to hang out without taking any outsiders in our group.

Now we are in the first half of our third year and things have changed between us.

For some reason, Kabura-kun has started showing some signs of partial affection toward me. If not, he out rightly started to prefer my presence and also started avoiding Akari.

Since I and Akari are close as sisters she has long told me that she looks at Kabura-kun more than as a friend. And I was happy about such a development.

But since my dear Akari was so shy, she never found the courage to confess her feelings for fear of breaking her friendship with Kabura-kun.

I thought before graduation I would play the wing girl and help them become one but this sudden shift in Kabura-kun’s behavior toward me is just growing hectic.

Just like today, he invited only me for a group study at the library but didn’t inform Akari. I wanted to ask him why he was behaving like this, but I was scared that his answer might make me slap him right across his face.

He recently has become slightly cringy these days, you see…

“Don’t do this, Sumire. You should stop worrying about others.”

I wanted to stop Akari but when I saw moisture building up in her eyes, I was momentarily taken aback. She’s pretty hurt and even I want I couldn’t understand how she feels

But there was nothing I can do rather than just bittering our friendship and distancing Kabura and Akari even more than they already have. And I don’t want to rely on such a retort.

I was left speechless…as I saw Akari’s distancing back which never turned to look at me.

With my heart growing heavy I started walking in the other direction of the division which led to my house.

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Chapter 1

“Fuaa….”

With a deep yawn which brought a droplet to the corner of her left eye, Sumire Asuzawa straightened her back from her warm bed. The feeling of reluctance to let go of such comfort was making Sumire skeptical but in the end, she chose to get up.

The first thing after waking up she did was check her phone which a normal teenager generally does.

Pressing the power button there she saw a lot of pop-ups from shopping sites and group chats which she didn’t bother with for now.

The only message which made her troubled early in the morning was from her friend Ryota Kabura, asking for the sturdy session he planned for the upcoming half-yearly exam.

[I have some work, so I won’t be coming today.]

This was all she wrote before returning her phone back to the table without bothering to see what reply came over. Sumire was really tired of this.

There was no message from Akari, signifying that the poor girl was still hurt. Sumire decided to call her in the evening since just like her, Akari was also a heavy sleeper and didn’t like to wake up early.

The reason Sumire was up even though it was just nine was that her mother’s call that had disturbed her precious sleep.

“Ah, finally you woke up! I was about to barge in this time.”

Sumire narrowed her eyes at her mother but there was no particular reaction since the lady was occupied with the preparation of breakfast.

Sumire’s mother—Akiko Asuzawa—was a working lady and had to work on weekends as well. And since Sumire’s late waking traits derive from her mother, the lady in the kitchen seemed quite in a rush right now.

“You wanted me for something?”

Throwing away her complaints since Sumire knew how tough life her mother has, she asked as she began to arrange cutlery on the dining table.

Akiko smiled upon seeing her daughter as she began arranging the dishes on the table for one person.

“Where is Ryu? And you won’t be eating again today?”

Sumire frowned slightly as her heart clenched once again. She already expected her mother’s answer yet she asked nevertheless.

“He went to play soccer and then to his friend’s house. He might return in an hour or so. Please make sure he eats properly before you take the list and bring ingredients for dinner. Love you.”

Taking her bag and some files, Akiko bent toward her daughter before planting a quick forehead kiss and walking away in a fluster since she was already running late.

Despite not having a father, the reason how their family was still surviving properly without any external help was because of her mother’s job which she joined after graduation from university.

Akiko had dreams to start her own company but after her husband expired, she threw the idea and continued her nine-to-five job as a white-collar employee.

“Sigh* At least answer me if you can’t stay…”

Sumire grumbled before placing the toast in her mouth and munching on it with a blank expression.

She has grown accustomed to eating alone and sometimes with her brother when he doesn’t have to go to soccer practice, but still, it felt lonely each time she had no one to talk to at the dining table.

Just her and the wall.

_______

(Scene Break)

After Sumire’s brother—Ryuuske Asuzawa—returned, she told him to finish the meal before Sumire left her house with a shopping bag and her purse in hand.

She deliberately didn’t take her phone since she knew Ryota would call her and she doesn’t like to intentionally ignore anyone’s call.

Sumire had two options. Rather go to the shopping mall near her house which was about a ten-minute walk and where she could find a variety of things.

Or the convenience store which was a twenty-minute away and had limited stock, especially on Sunday morning.

She chose the latter since the mall was on the same side of the public library where Ryota told Sumire to meet and by no chance she wanted to come across him today.

‘Well, it’s good to keep my heart healthy.”

She currently had an oversized hoodie and a blue skirt on the lower half with her long black hair messily tied in a bun and round-frame glasses resting on her nose.

Sumire usually wears contacts and keeps herself best and tidy at school but during the weekend or any time she walks errands, she doesn’t like to meet her schoolmates by any chance. So this disguise.

Sumire especially makes sure that she looks the worst version of herself before departing. And her brother’s snort just works as a stamp to make her certain.

Without having any particular thought, Sumire approached the convenience store while passing through the empty streets.

The real hustle started when she approached the walk-through crossing which led to the other side of the block. This section was particularly busy because of the abundance of cafè and the amusement park nearby.

Strangely, despite having such a place where people visit from far afar cities, Sumire gave never checked the amusement park and only had heard about it.

She finds such crowded places suffocating.

The only thing which makes her interested in such hustle streets is the bookstore that comes in the way.

She glanced at the big clock hanging inside the bookstore and found it was only half past eleven.

‘Not like I have anything to do…’

With a shrug, she walked into the store unbeknownst to what life-changing event would transpire.

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A/N:- I hope you guys like this story as well.

Thanks for reading!