When an Oblivious Handsome Older Man Went Back in Time and Was Building Harlem - Chapter 23

“Ah, I’m so tired.”

“Yeah, I’m tired too.”

After getting out of the bath, the two of us lie down on the tatami mats in the room.

“Oh, by the way, there’s something I want you to hear, Aki! Listen, listen!!”

“What is it, so annoying.”

“I started dating Tanimura-san that I used to like and now known as Miku-chan! Ah! I said it!!”

“…Oh, really? Congratulations.”

To be honest, I know the other person too, we’ve been friends for ten years, and Midori already has a child. So even if he says they started dating now, it doesn’t feel fresh at all.

“Hey, that’s cold! It’s a report about your best friend starting a relationship! Can’t you show a little more reaction or something?”

“No… I can’t. Honestly, if it’s Midori and Tanimura-san, it wouldn’t feel weird if you started dating.”

I almost said that it wouldn’t feel weird since he’s married to Miku-san, and they ended up stuttering wonderfully. I usually call him Yuuki-san, but I accidentally called him by his name.

“Eh, did you just say marriage? Isn’t that a bit premature? I like Miku-chan so much that I want to marry her, but…”

“It’s fine to get married early, but make sure the kids graduate from college and stuff.”

I remember telling Midori the same thing when we were in high school last time. Otherwise, it felt like she would get pregnant right away. But I was struck by the thought, “Did they really start dating this early?”

“I have a mission to spread the word about Miku-chan’s cute side to Aki, but I――want to hear about the girl you like, Aki?”

Midori tilted his head and clasped his hands in front of his chest as he asked, but I ignored him and spread out the futon.

“Ah, don’t ignore me. I’m saying this out of kindness. So, I’m going to ask you a question, and you better answer it.”

“Ugh, so annoying.”

“Geez, if you keep saying things like that, you’re definitely going to end up alone in the future.”

Not just definitely, but as someone who has been single, it was a bit of a jolt. Maybe it showed on my face, but Midori saw through it and the questioning attack began.

“First, do you have a crush on anyone? Even if I ask Aki, you never answer, so let’s skip that question. Anyway, what I really want to know is this. Aki, you actually like Miwano-san, don’t you?”

At Midori’s sudden question, my mind fills with question marks. When I’m told that I like Miwano-san, I think that’s not true.

“Huh? Well, I don’t think badly of her as a classmate, but I don’t think I like her.”

“Huh? That’s definitely a lie. Because every time we got our food, you always lined up behind Miwano-san, and during the tasting event, you seemed really close to Miwano-san!”

“Not really.”

When it comes to getting my food served, I only remember lining up in the empty spots because all I could think about was wanting it done quickly. I mean, how much does he care about my love life to even notice that?

“Eh? I thought it was definitely Miwano-san, but it’s not? Then, is it Shimozono-san? But Shimozono-san seems more like she likes Aki rather than Aki liking her. And Itou-san seems the same… You’re way too popular!!”

“There’s no way I’m that liked. How much of a love-struck brain do you have? Don’t tie everything to romance.”

“I’m not that much of a love-struck idiot! I was just worried about where my best friend was headed!”

Having finished setting up the futon for Midori, I do some stretching. Since practice starts early tomorrow as well, it would be better for my body if I go to bed early.

“Ah, thank you for the futon. I’m not giving up on gathering information about Aki’s love life, just so you know. If anything comes up, just consult with me, Midori-sama!”

“Don’t worry, it will never happen.”

Ignoring Midori’s “Geez” and diving into the futon. Lying down, my tired body relaxes, and something spreads throughout my body.

“For someone like you, Aki, I’ll tell you and Miku-chan’s story and teach you how wonderful love can be!”

“Enough of that, just go to bed already.”

After that, Midori kept talking about his love stories with Miku-san until I went to bed. I’ve been single until I turned 37, but I’ve never thought about wanting a spouse or a proper girlfriend. So, even though I listened to Midori’s stories, nothing really resonated with me.

However, I never imagined I would come to understand the reason why Midori wanted to brag about his love life.