When My Younger Brother Stole My Girlfriend, I Began Living Together with My Beautiful Childhood Friend Almost As If We Were Married - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Confessions of Unrequited Love

Before I knew it, I found myself wrapped in a fabric emitting a sweet scent.

Checking my smartphone by the bedside, it displayed nine in the morning, followed immediately by a low battery warning before the screen went dark.

As I sat up, a dull ache throbbed in my head. My eyes flickered with discomfort.

Trying to cope with the pain, I pressed my temples, and a glass of water was handed to me.

“Good morning. Maybe drinking some water will help you feel better?”

“Thanks.”

I accepted the glass with gratitude and gulped down the water.

As the pain gradually subsided and my hazy mind cleared up…

“Why is Reina here?”

That was the first question that came to mind after a brief moment of contemplation.

“Because this is my house.”

Her response was straightforward, but given the circumstances, it was far from ordinary, which left me feeling bewildered.

It was then that I finally remembered yesterday’s events.

I recall Reina suggesting we live together, me getting carried away, ordering more yakitori and alcohol, and then blacking out… and now here I am.

Ah, I see.

“I guess I got taken home.”

“You sure did.”

Reina’s playful tongue poked out slightly as she chuckled, looking adorable.

Oh no!

“I totally forgot to pay… Do you know how much I racked up on your tab, Reina?”

“Don’t worry. I already paid for both me and Hayato.”

Even more embarrassing.

I frantically searched for my wallet to repay her, but where is it?

“Are you looking for your wallet? It’s in the living room on the first floor.”

“I’m really sorry for everything! Once I pay, I’ll leave right away!”

“Wait, can’t you stay for a moment?”

Reina hurriedly stopped me as I leaped out of bed.

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

“Yesterday… You mean, the proposal about living together?”

“Yeah. I was serious about it, you know. If Hayato’s okay with it, let’s live together here.”

I initially thought it was a joke, but Reina’s eyes were earnest.

The same eyes she had back in middle school when she served as student council president, earnestly considering and expressing various opinions for the sake of the school. There was no lie in Reina’s words.

For someone like me, who doesn’t have a home, this offer is like a lifeline. It’s incredibly generous.

But honestly, I don’t understand why she’s doing this for me.

“Why are you going to such lengths for me? We haven’t even kept in touch since high school.”

“…Of course, there’s a bit of selfishness involved.”

As she said that, Reina retrieved a neatly decorated clear file from a nearby dresser.

Ah, so this really is Reina’s room.

While I was pondering that, a slightly faded piece of paper emerged from the clear file.

“Do you remember this? We wrote it together back in kindergarten.”

“Kindergarten?”

“Hehe, looks like you really don’t remember.”

She looked amused, but also somewhat lonely.

I’m really sorry. In my memory, our meeting happened in second grade, not kindergarten.

Well, setting that aside for now, I take a closer look at the paper Reina holds.

Sure enough, our names are written in clumsy letters, and above them, “Marriage Certificate” is printed clearly.

“What’s this?”

“I found it in a folder the teacher tearfully discarded back in kindergarten. We wrote this together.”

Ah, so that’s what happened. But what happened to the kindergarten teacher?

There are things I’m curious about, but right now, I need to focus on Reina’s story.

“It meant a lot to me. The promise you made back then, that you’d marry me in the future. When we talked about it in elementary school, I thought you had probably forgotten about it, but I just couldn’t forget.”

Blushing as she spoke, she looked like a maiden deeply in love.

“I felt happy. I really did. The promise you made, to marry me someday. Even though I thought you had forgotten about it by the time we reached high school and went our separate ways, I just couldn’t forget.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. So, the reason I want to live together… is because I love you, Hayato. Because I want to marry you. Is that not a good enough reason?”

She looked me straight in the eyes, and it would be rude not to respond seriously.

Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself to answer.

“I’m sorry, I’m not ready for marriage yet.”

“I see.”

Seeing Reina’s spirits dampen, I hasten to continue.

“But, actually, I forgot to mention, Reina, you were my first crush back in sixth grade.”

“Huh?”

“So, although marriage is not on the table yet, would it be alright to start from being a couple… maybe even move in together?”

Yeah, the order of events is definitely messed up. Starting from living together is an extremely rare case for a normal couple, I think. But regardless, let’s see how she responds.

After observing for a while, tears begin to stream from Reina’s eyes.

“Um, did you… not want that?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m just so happy… I’ve always dreamed of spending time with you, Hayato…!”

She clings to me tightly as tears flow.

“From now on, please take care of me! Even though we’ll start as a couple, let’s get married someday!”

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it. Let’s take care of each other.”

And so.

It turns out that both of us harbored unrequited feelings for each other, and we officially became a couple, embarking on the journey of living together.