When I Was Rejected and Returned Home, My Childhood Friend, Who Should Have Been Distant, Was in My Room

Chapter 13: Be My Friend

“Hoshino, let’s be friends,” Masaki said.

Hoshino quickly turned toward him when she heard his words. Her teary eyes were filled with surprise.

“Is that okay?” she asked.

“Okay or not, you asked me first, didn’t you?” Masaki replied.

Hoshino rubbed her eyes vigorously and cautiously pinched her own cheek.

“Ouch,” she exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, it’s reality,” Masaki assured her.

“Oh, right, it’s reality,” Hoshino murmured.

Hoshino sat on the bedside with a weary expression. Masaki wondered if she might collapse again. He couldn’t help but worry because Hoshino looked so stunned. After a while, she showed no reaction, and Masaki grew concerned.

“Hoshino, are you okay?” he asked.

“Huh? What was I doing just now?” Hoshino responded.

“Hey, were you even listening?” Masaki questioned.

When he lightly tapped her shoulder, Hoshino snapped back to reality.

“No, no! I wasn’t listening! I wasn’t listening, so say it again!” she insisted.

“Liar, you definitely heard me,” Masaki retorted.

Hoshino’s intensity showed she understood. Her desire to hear it again was obvious. She had even asked if it was okay earlier. When she realized the conversation was real, she showed an anxious expression.

“You mean you heard everything I said before, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I heard you,” Masaki confirmed.

“I don’t even know if I can do love or anything. I might just stay friends forever,” Hoshino admitted.

“That’s totally fine,” Masaki replied.

“I mean, I really don’t understand love! I was serious earlier! If you’re just saying this to comfort me, I don’t want it!” she exclaimed.

Despite asking him herself, Hoshino started a negative campaign against herself. When Masaki laughed, she got even angrier.

“Why are you laughing? I’m seriously thinking about you, Masaki-kun!” she protested.

“Well, that’s just it,” Masaki said.

He struggled to suppress his laughter and continued speaking.

“It’d be a waste not to be friends with someone who cares so much about friends,” he said.

“Ugh!” Hoshino groaned.

“Hey, don’t get mad with that face,” Masaki teased.

Hoshino let out a wordless sound, clenched her fists, glared at him, and expressed her heightened emotions. After a while, she calmed down and started speaking.

“Masaki-kun, if you say that, I might take it seriously,” she said.

“Go ahead, take it seriously,” Masaki replied confidently.

Hoshino gave him a testing look and crossed her arms.

“Hmph, my friendship is heavy, you know? It’s different from others,” she warned.

“That’s exactly why I want to be friends with you, Hoshino,” Masaki replied.

He genuinely wanted to be her friend. Hoshino let out a big, happy sigh.

“God, Masaki-kun, you really want to be friends with me that badly?” she asked.

“Now that you say it like that, I’m starting to reconsider,” Masaki teased.

“Hey! Don’t back out now!” Hoshino retorted.

Her sharp comeback made him laugh. He never imagined they could have such casual conversations. After laughing, she sat back on the bed.

“Let me say this again, I’m the girl who rejected you. You haven’t forgotten that, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I definitely remember,” Masaki replied.

That intense experience was unforgettable.

“You really won’t regret this?” she asked.

To match her sincerity, Masaki looked into her eyes, paused, and nodded. She nodded back, satisfied.

“But let me say this. Since this started with my selfishness, you have the right to end this relationship,” she said.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at him steadily. Her gaze was almost a glare, but it didn’t feel bad. Slowly, as if cherishing each word, she spoke.

“Masaki-kun, will you start over as friends with me?” she asked.

“Yes, gladly,” Masaki replied.

And so, they became friends again.

* * * * * *

The sunset cast an orange glow on the way home as Masaki and Hoshino walked together. Their steps naturally matched. Since Hoshino took the train, Masaki pushed his bike to the station with her.

“I never thought I’d walk home with you, Hoshino,” Masaki said.

“I never imagined this would happen either,” Hoshino replied.

“The person who sent that letter should have known this would happen,” Masaki teased.

“Hey, do you know how I felt back then? I didn’t have time to think about what would happen,” Hoshino retorted.

She puffed out her cheeks, and Masaki apologized lightly.

“So, you’re feeling okay now, right? Not feeling sick or anything?” he asked.

“I screamed that much, so I’m super fine. I feel bad for the teacher, though,” Hoshino said.

“It’s fine, you actually collapsed,” Masaki replied.

The school nurse returned after finishing her errands while Masaki and Hoshino, newly friends again, were caught up in excitement.

* * * * * *

“So, are you feeling okay now?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, thank you! I’m doing fine now,” Hoshino replied.

“No, no, I just provided the space. Thank that boy if you want to say thanks,” the nurse said.

“Yes. Thanks, Masaki-kun,” Hoshino said.

“Yeah,” Masaki responded.

“What’s with that reaction? We’re friends, don’t be so cold!” Hoshino teased.

“It’s not like that,” Masaki replied.

“Really?” Hoshino pressed.

Even as friends, being thanked face-to-face was embarrassing. Hoshino leaned in close, staring directly at him. Masaki glanced at her sideways. Why were her eyes so beautiful? And then she winked!

“Ahem,” the nurse coughed.

Unable to watch, the nurse cleared her throat, and Hoshino quickly returned to her original position.

“Well, it’s nice to see you getting along, but flirting in front of me is a bit much,” the nurse said.

“Sorry!” they both apologized.

Feeling awkward, they thanked the nurse and hurriedly left.

* * * * * *

“It’s gonna be hard to go back to the nurse’s office for a while,” Masaki said.

“Sorry, I got too excited,” Hoshino apologized.

She clasped her hands in front of her, looking embarrassed. In the end, Hoshino decided to call him Masaki-kun. She said it was because this was a fresh start, not a reconciliation, so she chose to use the name from when they first met. Masaki agreed.

“By the way, what’s the deal with you and Himuro-san? I’ve never seen you two close, but are you secretly good friends?” Hoshino asked.

“We’re childhood friends. We didn’t talk for a while, but recently we got close again,” Masaki explained.

Thinking about it, Himuro and Hoshino’s meeting was kind of similar—reconnecting after time apart. Though, Hoshino was part of why he and Himuro got close again.

“Hmm, childhood friends, huh?” Hoshino said.

She seemed dissatisfied and asked without meeting his eyes.

“So, how long have you known Himuro-san?” she asked.

“Since kindergarten, so about ten years?” Masaki replied.

“Ten years?” Hoshino muttered, looking shocked.

She mumbled “ten years” to herself.

“Well, friendship isn’t just about how long you’ve known someone. It’s about quality, not quantity!” she declared.

“Yeah, sure,” Masaki agreed.

“And you just got close to Himuro-san recently, so we’re starting from the same place!” Hoshino added, clenching her fist to motivate herself.

“Right, it’s not all about how long you’ve known someone. Shogo and I got close in high school too,” Masaki said.

“Yeah, exactly! You think so too, Masaki-kun! Friendship isn’t about the past; it’s about what we do from now on!” Hoshino said coolly, ending the talk about Himuro.

“But honestly, even being called friends again, I don’t know what to do,” Masaki admitted.

He tried to recall what they used to do but couldn’t pin it down. Imagining typical friend activities, he felt like they’d done them all and none at the same time. As he thought hard, Hoshino poked his side.

“Hey, don’t think about the past,” she said.

“Caught me,” Masaki admitted.

“It’s obvious from your face. We’re starting fresh as friends. So instead of doing the same old things, we should do what we want from now on, right?” Hoshino suggested.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Masaki agreed.

That felt better to him. It wasn’t about changing how they hung out, but it felt refreshing.

As they talked, they reached the station. Their eventful day was finally ending.

“Well, I’m going this way,” Hoshino said.

“See ya,” Masaki replied.

He watched Hoshino walk away with small steps. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and stood tall, but she looked anxious, gripping her strap tightly.

“Hoshino!” Masaki called out.

He couldn’t help but call her as she got smaller in the distance. A few passersby turned, startled. Hoshino looked back with a surprised expression. Meeting her eyes, Masaki grinned widely.

“See you tomorrow!” he shouted.

He was too embarrassed to see her reaction. Turning away quickly, he pushed his bike. Tomorrow was going to be fun.

“Hey!” Hoshino shouted.

Suddenly, a strong impact hit his back. He balanced himself with his bike. Turning around, he saw Hoshino standing behind him, out of breath. Her bag in her left hand showed she had hit him with it.

“What’s that for, Hoshino?” Masaki asked.

“What’s that? You’re the one who said something and ran!” Hoshino retorted.

“I didn’t run, I just said it,” Masaki defended.

She looked unsatisfied, staring at him while catching her breath.

“You said it, so now it’s my turn,” Hoshino declared.

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Hey!” she shouted.

Despite standing right in front of him, she raised her voice loudly. But it was a pleasant sound.

“I have a ton of things I want to do with my friend. Will you do them with me?” she asked.

Her eyes, fixed on him, showed no anxiety. Masaki nodded slowly with confidence to meet her expectations.

“Of course, let’s do them all,” he replied.

Hearing his words, her face lit up brightly.

“Then it’s a promise. I’m really going to do everything, okay?” she said.

“Bring it on,” Masaki replied.

“You better not betray me,” she warned.

“Who’d betray a friend this great?” Masaki countered.

“Yeah, thanks,” Hoshino murmured, looking a bit shy.

She looked down slightly, then suddenly raised one hand.

“Well then—” she started.

Thinking she was saying goodbye, Masaki raised his hand too.

But she pointed one finger and stepped closer. They were so close it startled him. Her finger ended up between their bodies.

Hoshino smelled like perfume, not typical for a high schooler. He hadn’t noticed when he carried her earlier.

He heard her take a small breath. She looked up at him, and he felt a strong will in her eyes, making his breath catch.

“Get ready. Our friendship is forever,” she declared.

Before he could react, she stepped back quickly. Adjusting her bag, she ran toward the station. Stunned, Masaki stood there, thinking he’d push his bike home a bit longer today.