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

Chapter 16: Let’s Introduce a Friend! (2)

During the break after Nabeshima scolded me relentlessly, I felt exhausted from the morning.

“That jerk… He went easy on Hoshino just because she’s a girl…” I mutter bitterly.

“Nabeshima was impressively furious. I got to see something entertaining first thing in the morning,” Shogo says cheerfully.

“Don’t treat my getting scolded as entertainment…” I retort grumpily.

I snapped at Shogo, who approached with a grin, but my mood didn’t improve.

“Still, I think you were partly at fault. Your excuse for being late was getting caught up in someone else’s love quarrel? You could’ve come up with a better lie,” Shogo points out logically.

“My motto is honesty,” I declare firmly.

“You’re saying that again~” Shogo teases playfully.

I was foolish to think telling the truth would make Nabeshima believe me more easily. While I desperately explained after being told to stop lying, I didn’t notice the vein gradually bulging on Nabeshima’s temple.

“By the way, why were you late today? And…” Shogo begins curiously.

Shogo shifted his gaze to the front of the classroom. I knew what he meant without him saying it: “And why were you late with Hoshino?”

Initially, we considered staggering our arrival times to avoid suspicion, but we ultimately scrapped that idea. There were two main reasons.

First, few people knew Hoshino had rejected me, so arriving late together probably wouldn’t raise eyebrows. Second, both of us were intimidated by Nabeshima. I’ll let you guess which reason was more significant.

Shogo was considerate enough to avoid saying it outright, but his suspicion was obvious. Well, I planned to tell him eventually, so it wasn’t a problem.

“Shogo,” I say seriously.

“Yeah! What’s up?” Shogo responds eagerly.

“There’s something about me and Hoshino I need to tell you. Will you listen?” I ask earnestly.

“If you want to talk, I’m all ears,” Shogo replies sincerely.

Immediately, Shogo’s expression turned serious, and he sat beside my desk. He leaned in close so others wouldn’t overhear. Grateful for his consideration, I spoke in a low voice.

“Actually…” I begin quietly.

*****

To put it simply, Shogo didn’t look pleased.

“Well, if that’s the choice you both made, I guess it’s fine…” Shogo says reluctantly.

I thought Shogo would be happy about our fresh start, but he wasn’t. He muttered under his breath with a sour expression.

“So, she rejected you once and then asked to be friends again, huh…” Shogo mumbles skeptically.

“You sound worried,” I observe cautiously.

“No, it’s not exactly that… By the way, does Himuro know about this?” Shogo asks curiously.

“Yeah, I told her on the way to school,” I confirm calmly.

“I see… Then I guess it’s okay…?” Shogo says uncertainly.

From Shogo’s words, I understood what he was worried about. To reassure him, I spoke in as upbeat a tone as possible.

“Just so you know, we’re starting over as friends. I don’t have any lingering feelings, so don’t worry,” I assure him confidently.

“No, I get that. I’m more worried about Hoshino…” Shogo admits hesitantly.

“Called?” Hoshino interjects suddenly.

I looked up in surprise at the voice from above and saw Hoshino standing there.

“Oh, Hoshino. You showed up at quite a moment,” I say, startled.

“I had a feeling you guys were talking about me, so I came over,” Hoshino explains cheerfully.

“I see…” I respond awkwardly.

Whether she had sharp ears or keen intuition, Hoshino was smiling brightly. Shogo stood up abruptly when he saw her.

“Hoshino, can I ask you something?” Shogo says directly.

“Sure, I came to explain things properly to you, Shogo. You’re Masamune’s best friend, right?” Hoshino replies warmly.

“I’m honored you think so highly of me,” Shogo says modestly.

Compared to his usual self, Shogo spoke a bit curtly. It was the first time I’d seen him like this. He stared at Hoshino with a look that could almost be taken as a glare.

“Hoshino, just one thing. I only need one answer,” Shogo says intensely.

“Sure, go ahead,” Hoshino responds calmly.

A strange tension hung between them. I had no idea what Shogo was about to ask and could only watch. Shogo took a deep breath, and Hoshino swallowed hard.

“Hoshino, as a friend, what do you like about Masamune?” Shogo asks pointedly.

Shogo’s question struck me as something only a best friend would ask. What a question—what she likes about me as a friend. To be honest, I was curious, even if it’s a bit trivial.

Hoshino thought for a moment. Then, with determined eyes, she looked at Shogo and gave her answer. Alright, bring it on—whether it’s my kindness, reliability in a pinch, anything’s welcome!

“He wants to act cool but gets so embarrassed that he can’t quite pull it off,” Hoshino says confidently.

“What!?” I exclaim loudly.

Her choice was hardly something to like, and I couldn’t help but interject. What’s that about not pulling off being cool!? Is she talking about yesterday at the station!? Or about me dodging the topic!?

But as a reason to like me, even Shogo didn’t seem convinced… Look, he’s crossing his arms and groaning!

“Alright, you pass,” Shogo declares approvingly.

“Huh?” I say, confused.

“Phew, that’s a relief…” Hoshino sighs gratefully.

While I stood there baffled, Shogo and Hoshino suddenly seemed to hit it off.

“Man, Hoshino, you get it. This guy always tries to act cool but chokes at the last moment,” Shogo says enthusiastically.

“Right? He’s got the cool vibe going, but then he ruins it at the end,” Hoshino agrees excitedly.

“Exactly!” Shogo exclaims happily.

“Totally!” Hoshino echoes cheerfully.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” I interrupt frantically.

I cut in as they got carried away without me. They both looked at me with dissatisfied expressions.

“What’s your deal, Masamune? Don’t ruin the moment,” Shogo says annoyedly.

“Yeah, I’m getting some of Masaki’s ‘trying-to-be-cool’ stories from Shogo,” Hoshino adds eagerly.

“When did it turn into that!?” I say, exasperated.

I was beyond shocked and just dumbfounded as they moved on to the next topic so quickly.

“So, why does that make her pass, Mr. Examiner? Honestly, it just sounds like she’s messing around,” I say skeptically.

“Messing around? That’s harsh,” Shogo replies defensively.

“What are you talking about, Masamune? It’s rare to get an answer that shows she understands you so well. I’d give her full marks,” Shogo says approvingly.

“I’d give it zero…” I mutter dejectedly.

As we talked, the bell for the next class rang, and they returned to their seats.

And so the introduction of my new friend to my childhood friend and best friend went smoothly(?).