When I Thought I Was Reborn, My Family Turned Out to Be a Huge Landmine - Chapter 18: How Sogo and Yuka met

Chapter 18: How Sogo and Yuka met

When I entered the classroom with Arika, it was almost expected that all eyes would be on us.

Having always gone to school with Arisaka, it seemed that my presence by her side was attracting attention.

“Hehe, we’re definitely being watched, aren’t we?”

“Arika doesn’t seem to mind, huh…”

Unlike me, who felt a bit uncomfortable, Arika was as usual. No, she even seemed to be smiling more than usual. Responding to my words, Arika nodded and tightly hugged my arm.

“I don’t mind at all. Rather, I need to let everyone know that I belong to Ren-kun!”

“…”

Arika’s words were loud enough to be heard by our classmates nearby, who looked startled. Then, they began to whisper among themselves, the murmurs spreading. ……In such moments, I wish I could say something clever.

“It’s okay.”

“Eh?”

“I will accept whatever answer Ren-kun gives. Of course, there’s only one answer I want. That’s why I’m making such a strong appeal.”

Perhaps love that blossoms from spending time together after becoming a couple does exist. Even if there’s no clear fondness, if I were to propose such a thing, Arika would surely nod in agreement. But… but why is it that even though I can nod to Arika’s confession, I push away the part of me that whispers it’s okay? The image of Nee-san’s smiling face keeps flashing through my mind.

“…Sorry. I will give an answer, but it might take some time.”

“Okay. I’ll wait forever if I have to… I can wait. I’ve waited for years, after all.”

Her smile, masking a certain determination, was something I couldn’t fully understand, yet we both smiled, knowing this was okay for now. However, this exchange seemed to create a space just for me and Arika, drawing even more attention from the class.

Amidst this, I noticed Arisaka, the person I was most curious about at the moment. His gaze at me was complex, but it quickly turned sympathetic… Eh? Then, his gaze shifted to Arika, but the way he looked at her was like seeing something repulsive.

“…?”

Perhaps noticing my gaze, Arika also looked towards Arisaka. Their eyes met only for a moment before Arisaka looked away first. What happened? I wondered, as Arika laughed next to me.

“Well, it can’t be helped. After showing him that side of me, it’s no wonder he feels disgusted.”

“Did something happen?”

When I asked, Arika nodded.

“Actually―”

Just as she was about to reveal what had happened, someone forcefully placed a hand on my shoulder. Before I could turn around, a voice that seemed to come straight from hell vibrated in my eardrums.

“Ren~kun! What exactly is going on here!?”

“…Good morning, Kenichi.”

The one who had placed a hand on my shoulder was Kenichi… Yeah, I knew this would happen when I came to school with Arika. We’re not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but to others, we must seem like more than just friends.

“Good morning, Watanabe-kun.”

“Good morning, Yumeno-san. What exactly is going on?”

“Fufu, I like Ren-kun, so I’m in the middle of showing my affection.”

Arika said this without any intention to hide, causing Kenichi to freeze with an audible snap. He shifted his gaze from Arika to me, muttering in disbelief.

“…You’re no longer my friend.”

“That’s an overreaction.”

Kenichi then slumped into his seat… But I hadn’t really done anything wrong. Unlike me, who was wearing an indescribable expression, Arika continued to smile brightly by my side.

“…I’m already tired, and it’s just the morning.”

Saying this, I also took my seat. Arika told me to wait a bit and went to put her bag down. During that time, I was bombarded with questions from those around me, but I managed to evade them until she came back. I heard a click of the tongue from next to me… but never mind.

After a while, Arika and I were chatting, and she suddenly asked me this:

“Hey Ren-kun. Have Saito-kun and Shinjo-san been together since middle school?”

She was referring to Sogo and Shinjo-san. To her question, I nodded. Then Arika nodded as if she understood and began to ponder something.

“Are you curious about them?”

“No, I was just thinking of asking Shinjo-san for advice about what to do from now on.”

“Advice, huh…”

Shinjo-san usually puts Sogo first, but she’s quite interested in other people’s love affairs. I fear that she might join in and tease us about our situation.

But right, Shinjo-san. Now that I think about it, my first encounter with Shinjo-san wasn’t exactly pleasant. It was only through Sogo that I could have a proper conversation with her.

“Shinjo-san used to be quite different from now… Right, Kenichi?”

Even though he might be upset about the situation with Arika, Kenichi is the kind of guy who would respond properly if asked. He seemed to have already moved on from the matter, as his gaze, now turned towards me, was as usual.

“Yeah. The first time I spoke to Shinjo in middle school, she looked at me like I was trash.”

“…Really?”

That slight pause probably came from the difficulty of imagining the current Shinjo-san behaving that way. Now, she recognizes me and Kenichi as friends, but when we first met in middle school, she truly seemed disinterested in others.

“And now you’re so close?”

To that question, both Kenichi and I nodded. It wasn’t like nothing had happened; it’s precisely because of certain events that we were able to become friends with someone like her.

“Something happened with Shinjo-san back then. Sogo was the one who helped her. After that, Shinjo-san started talking to Sogo more often… Haha, Kenichi and I really put in a lot of effort.”

“We struggled to figure out how to pair up a pushy Shinjo with a flustered Sogo. In the end, they got together, and through our efforts in bringing them together, we happily moved up to the rank of Shinjo’s friends.”

“…I see.”

While Arika seemed lost in thought, Kenichi and I got carried away talking about those times. Shinjo-san, who was quite reserved in middle school, gradually became more outgoing after getting a boyfriend like Sogo and friends like Kenichi and me. I particularly remember Kenichi’s surprise when she cut her long hair that used to cover her eyes, revealing her beautiful face.

“…But you know,”

“What’s up?”

“…I guess I’m just destined to be a Cupid in love, huh?”

“…”

He’s feeling down again.

With Kenichi emitting a gloomy aura, Arika and I exchanged looks and smiled wryly.

“So, because of that incident, you guys are close with Saito-kun and Shinjo-san now, huh?”

“Yeah. If it weren’t for that… well, maybe not with Sogo, but I don’t think we would have gotten along with Shinjo-san.”

Back then, during our sensitive middle school years, bullying was a significant issue. People with a reserved personality or those who couldn’t communicate well with others often became targets. It seems Shinjo-san was targeted for a while… I say ‘seems’ because I only heard about it from Sogo and don’t know the details.

I also heard a rumor from someone else that the main instigator of the bullying suffered a brutal retaliation from her, leading to their transfer, but I couldn’t imagine Shinjo-san, of all people, doing something like that.

“Ren-kun? Lost in thought?”

“Ah, yeah… what!?”

I was quite startled when Arika stared at me from a distance where a kiss could happen if I moved my face a bit. I heard a curse from next to me, but for now, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.

“But…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I was just wondering why we meddled so much. I thought it was a hassle.”

I used to think it was a hassle to meddle in other people’s romantic affairs, and yet we willingly got involved. Why, I wonder, do I question it now?

“…Maybe because you, Ren-kun, are kind? You couldn’t leave your friend Saito-kun alone, ‘the current’ Ren-kun must have thought so.”

I see, maybe it’s something like that. Since the end result is a happy one, and it continues to this day, I should be happy about it without thinking too much. After all, they’re our friends.

“Hey!”

“Good morning, everyone! Oh? Yumeno-san is here too?”

Ah, the troublesome couple finally arrives.