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

Chapter 15: Let’s Introduce a Friend! (1)

“Masamune’s friend…?”

Manaki looked down at Hoshino with an expression that seemed to say she couldn’t believe it. However, Hoshino, who was looked down upon, gazed back at Manaki with a cheerful face and sparkling eyes.

Perhaps I should have explained properly before things turned out like this… Regret flickered in my chest, but now was not the time to dwell on regrets; I needed to explain.

“Manaki.”

“What…?” Manaki responds hesitantly.

Manaki’s eyes, which stared at me, held not anger but something like fear. Seeing that, I felt even more guilty. I chose my words carefully, speaking in as gentle a tone as possible to Manaki, who gripped her smartphone tightly.

“Sorry, I should have explained earlier.”

“No, but this person, she’s the one who rejected Masamune…”

“Well, actually…” I begin cautiously.

I explained to Manaki as politely and clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings. Manaki listened intently, though she seemed a bit worn out. Hoshino, who had called out to us, also sensed the serious atmosphere and listened quietly to my explanation about what happened to us yesterday.

Though she was shaken at first, Manaki, true to form, gradually regained her composure as she listened to my story. By the time I finished, the fear in her eyes was gone. Even after I stopped talking, Manaki put her hand to her chin, thinking for a moment.

“So,” Manaki says slowly.

After pondering, Manaki opened her mouth slowly.

“So, Masamune, you were rejected by Hoshino, but you ended up starting over as friends at Hoshino’s request. Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s correct,” I confirm.

Understanding this, Manaki’s eyes darkened again.

“Then, does that mean you two might start as friends and then become something more, like a romantic relationship…?” Manaki asks nervously.

Her tone was unusually timid for Manaki. But I wasn’t the one who answered.

“No way. I promised Masaki that we’d stay friends forever,” Hoshino declares firmly.

Standing beside me, Hoshino spoke to Manaki in a clear, strong voice.

“But, you can’t know that for sure! You start as friends, and even if you don’t like each other at first, before you know it, you might want something more, and then…!” Manaki protests anxiously.

“Manaki,” I interrupt gently.

Her words hit close to home, spoken with a knowing tone. To reassure her, I spoke gently.

“It’s okay, so don’t worry,” I assure her calmly.

This tied into what Hoshino and I talked about yesterday. Hoshino had said she didn’t understand love and didn’t think it was something wonderful. I chose to build a friendship with her instead. Perhaps reassured by my words, Manaki asked in a small voice.

“Can I really trust that?” Manaki whispers softly.

Her words, murmured as if spilling from her body, pierced my heart. But I hid my feelings, looked into Manaki’s eyes steadily, and nodded slowly.

“Yeah, trust me,” I say sincerely.

This time, I vowed in my heart never to betray her.

“Got it…” Manaki murmurs.

Perhaps my words reached her, as strength gradually returned to Manaki’s eyes. To support Manaki, Hoshino also spoke up.

“I get why you’d feel uneasy, Himuro. The person who rejected your precious childhood friend suddenly shows up wanting to be friends,” Hoshino says empathetically.

“Hoshino, you don’t have to put it like that…” I interject.

“But I didn’t ask Masaki to date me. I asked to be friends. I want you to understand that,” Hoshino explains firmly.

Perhaps Hoshino’s words sealed the deal, as Manaki’s timidity completely vanished.

“Alright. If you two say so, I won’t say anything more,” Manaki declares confidently.

Saying this, Manaki stretched widely. Then, with a big sigh, she glanced at me with a sidelong look.

“Besides, no matter who else is around, I just have to win Masamune for myself,” Manaki says boldly.

Manaki put her hand to her lips, flashing a fearless smile. Her usual self had returned, leaving me half embarrassed, half flustered.

“What’s wrong, Masaki? Did you strain your neck while sleeping?” Hoshino teases playfully.

“No, it’s just, like, a reflex or something encoded in my DNA, so don’t worry about it…” I mumble awkwardly.

“Hmm, weird,” Hoshino replies lightly.

While we bantered like this, I glanced at my smartphone’s clock and realized a lot of time had passed. We were at the point where we’d be late if we didn’t hurry.

“Damn, we gotta go now,” I say urgently.

“True, isn’t first period math today?” Manaki confirms quickly.

“Yeah, if we’re late, it’s gonna be bad…!” I exclaim nervously.

As we rushed to leave, Manaki maintained an elegant demeanor.

“Manaki, just because you don’t have math doesn’t mean you can be late!” I shout exasperatedly.

“Um, Hoshino,” Manaki says casually.

“What? We’re gonna be in trouble if we don’t hurry!” Hoshino replies urgently.

“It’s not a big deal,” Manaki says nonchalantly.

Saying this, Manaki flashed a radiant smile. Her eyes crinkled, and her mouth curved upward—a smile full of confidence.

“Can I call you Hoshino, too? Masamune seems to call you that,” Manaki asks cheerfully.

“Hey, Manaki! Who cares about names? Let’s go already!” I yell desperately.

But despite my frantic shouts, Hoshino stopped walking and strode toward Manaki. With her hands on her hips, Hoshino looked up at Manaki with a radiant smile.

“We started as friends from zero, and calling each other by last names is part of that,” Hoshino explains confidently.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that… Did it come off that way?” Manaki responds apologetically.

For some reason, Hoshino seemed belligerent, and Manaki matched her with a provocative attitude. I wanted to leave quickly, but both of them stood glaring at each other, refusing to move.

“I felt a bit sorry for you earlier since you were so shaken, but you’ve got quite a personality, huh, childhood friend?” Hoshino says challengingly.

“Yeah, I’ll take that as a compliment, friend,” Manaki retorts playfully.

Sparks seemed to fly between them. But the deadline was approaching fast.

“Hey, you two, we’re gonna be late if we don’t go now!” I shout urgently.

“Shut up, you’re the cause of this!!” they yell in unison.

“Even though I’m the cause!?” I exclaim in disbelief.

In the end, all three of us were thoroughly late and missed the first period.

By the way, I was the only one who got lectured by Nabeshima in mathematics, while Hoshino was not reprimanded at all. I don’t understand.