What's Wrong With Interfering With My Childhood Friend's Love?

Chapter 29 : Denying The Destiny

In short, Miumi struggled to grasp the appropriate distance in friendships, and the method she eventually devised was to mimic others to close the gap.

It was, in a sense, a form of mental shutdown… yet, at the same time, a very simple solution.

However, knowing how sensitive Miumi was to other people’s moods, it was hard to believe she could do this so easily. That said, the reason she hesitated with Akito was likely because he was just as assertive.

“But being the only one left out… it’s lonely, isn’t it?”

“That’s true. As long as it’s not something your mother told you to do again, I don’t see a problem with it. At first, I was so surprised that I thought you were a completely different person, though.”

“Well, now that you put it that way, it’s hard to say, but—”

“Wait, are you saying she actually had a hand in this?”

“Yes. To be honest, what my aunt told me was also one of the reasons.”

“I see.”

“But I came to terms with it in my own way, so there’s really nothing for you to worry about, Riku-kun.”

The way she said that made it seem like she was trying not to make me worry. If anything, it had the opposite effect.

Why does Miumi always act so tough? The more she puts on a brave face, the more it feels like she’s overexerting herself. Almost as if she’s desperately trying to meet someone’s expectations, trying to convey something without words.

“Miumi, you’re reckless, so asking me not to worry is a bit much.”

“Hmph… Am I really that reckless?”

“Well, I’ll try my best to respect your wishes.”

“Thank you. Then… may I be honest with you?”

“Of course.”

“I’m exhausted from acting that way around you, Riku-kun.”

I had already noticed. There had been several moments where her true self almost slipped through.

It’s easy to maintain the same behavior toward a fixed person. But when it came to me, she had choices. And when people are given choices, they often become more uncertain instead.

“…I see. Tomorrow’s a day off, but we should probably get to bed early.”

“Yes, tomorrow will be a busy day. Let’s do that.”

I had completely forgotten — Miumi was going to help clean my room tomorrow.

Since Miumi started staying here, the quality of my life had definitely improved. Today, I genuinely felt like I had fun, probably because I finally had the mental space to enjoy myself. I was grateful to Miumi for that… but what about her?

“Hey, Miumi… how does this life compare to before?”

“Hmm… Just being with you, Riku-kun, makes me feel like I have fewer lonely moments.”

“…I see.”

Hearing something like that could easily make me misunderstand. But the serious expression on Miumi’s face told me she said it unconsciously, without any hidden meaning.

“Well, we have Charo too, after all…”

“That’s right. Charo-chan is so friendly and adorable.”

“I’ve never felt lonely, thanks to Charo.”

Charo really is my angel.

No, actually, since Charo belongs to this household now, I suppose our angel would be more accurate.

“I hesitated a little when my aunt suggested living with a classmate, but I think it turned out to be the right choice.”

“…Yeah, I think so too.”

“Huh? Now you think so?”

“Well, at first, I felt differently. Since I was forced into it because I couldn’t handle housework… and it all happened so suddenly, I was actually against it deep down.”

“But it’s true that you can’t do housework, Riku-kun…”

She’s right, but hearing it so bluntly stings a little.

“That being said, I’m sorry for forcing my way in despite your reluctance, Riku-kun.”

“If the deterioration of your house was the reason, then moving here was the logical choice for you. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“No, but I did force my way in.”

“Besides, at first, I was convinced that living together was just part of some scheme my mother came up with.”

“A scheme…?”

That probably sounded a bit off.

Back when Miumi first arrived, I even suspected that my mother was trying to interfere with my feelings for Suisei.

“Sorry… maybe ‘scheme’ is too strong of a word. But from my mother’s perspective, she probably just thought it was safer for both of us not to live alone until we became adults.”

“Auntie is a kind person, after all.”

“So maybe she just found an excuse to make us live together.”

“That does seem… possible.”

The reason I live alone is that my father is always ridiculously busy, and my mother has a job that requires frequent relocations.

Miumi had apparently heard about this from my mother, so she probably assumed I wanted this kind of lifestyle because of our similar circumstances.

And in reality, since Miumi arrived, my quality of life had clearly improved. Maybe it really was the best choice for both of us… but that was just the surface-level justification.

“Still, I can’t help but feel there was another reason… some other possibility.”

“…Auntie’s thoughts are difficult to read. Now that you mention it, it does feel like there’s more to it.”

“My mom really is a liar.”

“You say that all the time, Riku-kun.”

“She’s always saying things like ‘I’m just teaching you not to be deceived’ — convenient excuses, really.”

“I think she did it with your future in mind, though…”

“I know.”

A long time ago, when I was deeply devastated after being betrayed by a friend, my mother told me a certain lie that saved me.

It’s ironic, really—being lied to actually kept me from developing trust issues. If not for that lie, I probably would have ended up distrusting people completely.

“But… I feel like life isn’t always that convenient.”

That’s why I haven’t given up on Suisei. If something is truly fate, then I want to challenge it.

“When things go our way, we call it destiny. When they don’t, we call it a conspiracy. But maybe, in reality, destiny doesn’t exist at all. Maybe both good and bad things happen because of someone’s plans.”

That might be a warped way of thinking, born from my constant doubt. But at the same time, it gave me a guiding principle to live by—a kind of inner strength.

Just then, Miumi’s expression shifted into something unfamiliar. A slight smirk, almost mischievous. It was the first time I had seen her look like that.

“So, there’s no such thing as destiny…? Heh, in that case, I’m actually relieved.”

“Relieved…?”

“To be honest, I hate the word ‘destiny’.”

“Haha, funny thing—I just recently started hating it too.”

Throughout my life, I could count on one hand the times I had beaten Akito at something. I refused to accept the idea that it was all ‘destiny.’

Lately, I’ve been feeling that more strongly than ever.

“I’d rather focus on the process.”

“The process, huh…”

“My mother always taught me to document every detail of the process. Maybe that’s why I think this way.”

At first glance, Miumi and I seemed to have completely different mindsets. But deep down, maybe we weren’t so different after all.

After all, Miumi carried a certain dignity in everything she did.

Come to think of it, I almost forgot—Miumi was once the esteemed student council president of Nishikiba Girls’ Academy.