When I Was Rejected and Returned Home, My Childhood Friend, Who Should Have Been Distant, Was in My Room - Chapter 35: At That Moment, Manaki Himuro

Chapter 35: At That Moment, Manaki Himuro

Under the cherry blossom tree, a spot famous in class as a confession location, I stood. Did Hoshino Ozasa properly contact Masamune? Well, knowing her, she probably handled it well.

However, the crucial part isn’t contacting him—it’s what happens after. Honestly, there’s no guarantee he’ll show up.

“Maybe I rushed things too much…”

I muttered regret, but no one answered. When I talked with Ozasa at the family restaurant, it seemed like a perfect plan, but now it feels full of holes.

Even so, the story has already started moving. Life has no pause button. No use regretting what’s done. I lightly slapped my face to pull myself together.

“Sorry, I kept you waiting.”

A refreshing voice stirred the air. I turned toward the sound and saw someone approaching at a jog.

“No, I haven’t waited long at all.”

Jingu-senpai, a third-year and supposedly the ace of the baseball team. He’s athletic, and his looks… well, they’re not bad, so he’s pretty popular with girls.

“Sorry, a teacher asked me to do something, and dealing with that made me late.”

“No, that’s a very Jingu-senpai-like reason.”

“It’s no big deal, really.”

I heard he’s well-liked by teachers, so it makes sense. I didn’t mean anything deep by it, but Jingu-senpai looked really pleased. His humility feels genuine, not fake, which makes him likable.

He suddenly glanced back, looking at the nearly empty field.

“Well, no practice today, so it worked out perfectly.”

“The baseball team always seems busy. Do you practice every day?”

“Not really. We get one day off a week, and compared to powerhouse schools, it’s pretty easy.”

True, I’ve never heard of our school’s baseball team going to Koshien. They seem to practice a lot, but it’s still not enough?

“The sports world is tough, isn’t it?”

Maybe he didn’t quite catch my meaning, because Jingu-senpai gave a vague smile. I didn’t elaborate further. Most of my attention was on my pocket.

I promised Ozasa she’d contact me if anything happened, but my phone showed no signs of vibrating.

“Himuro-san, have you ever done any sports?”

“Nope, I’m terrible at athletics.”

“Really? You’re tall, so I thought you might play basketball or something.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“No, no! That’s not what I meant!”

I said it playfully, and Jingu-senpai laughed, waving his hands. I’ve heard the “basketball or volleyball” question before.

“I’ve always been clumsy. My legs are slow, too, despite how they look.”

As a kid, I was always the one dragged around. I tried desperately to keep up with that boy who was happy just running, but I’d get tired, fall a lap behind, and he’d catch up to me.

As I sank into nostalgic feelings, Jingu-senpai glanced around and spoke.

“Um… can we get to the main point?”

I mentally clicked my tongue. I wanted to stall a bit longer, but this won’t work for the plan. I instinctively reached into my pocket.

“…!”

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my hand. I grabbed it and pulled it out instantly. Jingu-senpai stood in front of me, but I couldn’t care less right now. Every second counted—I needed to read the message fast.

“Phew…”

Relief washed over me. My phone still in hand, I slumped. Jingu-senpai looked at me with a worried expression.

“Hey… are you okay?”

“Oh, sorry, I won a bet and got too relieved…”

“A bet?”

“Yeah, it was a long shot, but it worked out.”

“I… see…”

He gave me a puzzled look. But I couldn’t stay thrilled for long. Winning the bet meant I had to face Jingu-senpai properly now.

“Sorry, the main point, right?”

I stretched, turned to him, and noticed his posture straighten slightly. He’s probably a really good guy. The more I realized his kindness, the guiltier I felt about what I was about to do.

I’d start with thanks. For liking someone like me and for getting dragged into this.

“First, thank you for coming all the way out here.”

“No, no, if Himuro-chan calls me, I’d go anywhere.”

His expression stayed refreshing. As I met Jingu-senpai’s eyes, I started calculating. It wouldn’t take long to get here from the classroom. It’s about time.

Footsteps pattered behind me. Perfect timing—I recalled the plan I made with Ozasa.

******

“So, what’s this deal about?”

Ozasa asked, spooning parfait into her mouth.

“To begin with, do you know why Masamune did something as stupid as trying to set me up with Jingu-senpai?”

“Stupid, huh… Well, like you said earlier, isn’t it because he lacks confidence? Like he thinks he’s not good enough for you?”

“Yeah, half correct.”

I nodded, and Ozasa frowned, spoon still in her mouth.

“Half? What’s the other half?”

“Wanna know?”

“Honestly, I don’t care much, but for the sake of the conversation, sure.”

That’s what I wanted to hear! I nodded slowly to Ozasa, who kept eating.

“It’s because Masamune doesn’t realize how serious I am!”

“Huh?”

“We’ve been childhood friends for so long, right? So no matter how much I appeal to him, the past holds him back, and he can’t take me seriously.”

Ozasa didn’t respond. Judging she was speechless from shock and agreement, I continued.

“So, this time, I’ll show him how devoted I am to him. Then, even if he doesn’t want to date, he’ll stop trying to pair me with someone else, right?”

“I get what you’re saying, but is that really right?”

Ozasa narrowed her eyes.

“Of course it’s right. I’m his childhood friend, after all.”

“No, I mean, Masaki-kun seems…”

“What about Masamune?”

“No, never mind.”

Sighing, Ozasa piled parfait onto her spoon. The layers of parfait vanished into her mouth in an instant.

“So, what’s devoted-to-Masaki-kun Hime-chan planning to do?”

“What’s with that tone? Are you actually going to help?”

“Of course I will. I swear on this parfait.”

Saying that, Ozasa took another bite. The huge parfait was already half gone.

“Ugh, fine. Ozasa, what’s the best way to make someone trust your words?”

“Showing it through actions, maybe?”

“That’s close enough.”

“What’s with that look?”

“…I think I misunderstood you, Hime-chan.”

Ozasa’s cold tone made me sense a bad vibe, so I hurried with an answer.

“Well, the real answer is hearing it in a place where you’re not involved.”

“Meaning?”

“Like, if someone compliments you, it could be flattery, right? But if they praise you when you’re not around, it’s more likely their true feelings, don’t you think?”

“…Yeah, that makes sense.”

Arms crossed, Ozasa nodded repeatedly.

“Right? So I’m going to do that with Masamune.”

“So, you’re proving your devotion in a place where Masaki-kun isn’t… Wait, no way, are you using Jingu-senpai?”

“Yeah, probably exactly what you’re thinking.”

“I… see…”

Ozasa made a thoughtful gesture, frowning and looking down, creating a nervous tension.

“Not on board?”

“No, I just thought it’s a really roundabout way…”

“Roundabout?”

“Whatever, let the complicated types do what they want.”

Ozasa let out a big sigh. Then, she started devouring the parfait to make up for the air she lost, eating with the gusto of someone slurping ramen.

Finishing every last cornflake, Ozasa slammed the container on the table.

“So, I’m calling Masaki-kun, right?”

“You catch on quick. That helps.”

“I’m curious what he’ll say to explain himself. Contact him via LINE?”

“Yeah, please.”

No more words were needed. Facing each other, we shared a light chuckle.

“Ozasa, you’ve got a sneaky face.”

“Look who’s talking, Hime-chan.”

Sharing the full plan, we laughed darkly. Two high school girls cackling suspiciously in a family restaurant—honestly, it must’ve looked weird.

******

Recalling the plan, I sighed. Ozasa pulled it off perfectly. Now it’s my turn…

The way to prove my devotion to Masamune is—

—rejecting Jingu-senpai’s confession and letting Masamune overhear me say I love him.

No matter how much I approached him before, Masamune never wavered. Even physical affection probably just felt like an extension of our childhood friendship to him.

But once he accidentally witnesses this scene, even Masamune will realize I’m serious and can’t help but think about it.

I feel bad for Jingu-senpai, but he should see liking a girl like me was his first mistake…

First, I’ll apologize to him.

“Sorry! Senpai!”

Yeah, like that—maybe a bit too forceful, but it’ll do. Next, I’ll say I like someone else, and… I took a deep breath to clearly tell Jingu-senpai that I love Masaki Masamune.

…Wait, first voice?

“I… I like someone…!”

I felt a bit out of breath, but it’s passable. Finally, I’d make sure he clearly hears I love Masaki Masamune… I took a deep breath to let Jingu-senpai hear my first words.

…Huh? First voice?

“I… I like her… I like Manaki Himuro!”

Looking up, I saw a boy’s school uniform in front of me.

“Huh…?”

Unable to process, I could only let out a confused sound. Hearing my voice, he turned and gave a sheepish smile.

“Y-You… you’re the kid who came to watch baseball practice, right? What are you doing here?”

Trying to stay calm, Jingu-senpai asked. Masamune looked at him with determined eyes.

“Sorry, I came to stop Jingu-senpai’s confession.”

“Stop it? What right do you have…?”

Jingu-senpai wasn’t even here to confess, but… this is getting wild, and I could only stay silent.

“I can’t stand the thought of Manaki belonging to another guy. So, I’m taking her.”

At that moment, warmth flooded my heart. With a bold declaration, Masamune grabbed my hand firmly. It felt strong but comforting.

He’s probably misunderstanding, but that works in my favor. I squeezed his hand back and bowed slightly to Jingu-senpai.

Jingu-senpai seemed to catch on, looking away with a sigh.

Then, he glanced at me.

“I get it. You called me out here for this, didn’t you?”

“Called you out…?”

I gave a vague smile to Jingu-senpai, who totally got it, and Masamune, who seemed confused.

“Fine, I’ll let it slide since I’m the one who fell for you.”

Glancing at Masamune, who had a question mark over his head, I mentally bowed.

Then, Jingu-senpai stared into my eyes.

“You’re okay with this, right, Himuro-chan?”

“…Yes.”

I felt Masamune’s grip tighten. Jingu-senpai sighed.

“Well… I was pretty serious, you know.”

Masamune looked down. He must’ve respected Jingu-senpai, considering he tried to set me up with him. After a moment, Masamune looked up sharply.

“Well, that’s how it is, so we’ll be going!”

With that, Masamune pulled me along and ran off.

It wasn’t a cool exit by any means, but the boy who always ran ahead of me, who caught up after lapping me, was now holding my hand. That made me happier than anything.