When Two Wounded Hearts Find Solace In Each Other, Snow White (The School's Beauty) And I Were Mistakenly Labeled As A Silly Couple. - Chapter 7: Angry Childhood Friend.

Angry Childhood Friend.

“Ta-kun, do you know what it means to stay out all night?”

As I left Himeno’s house and made my way back to my own, I found Shikibe Marika, my childhood friend and schoolmate in her school uniform, standing at the entrance with a smile.

To be precise, her mouth wore a smile, but her eyes didn’t reflect the same. Her brown eyes had lost their usual sparkle, indicating her disapproval of my unannounced all-nighter.

Despite the absence of romantic feelings, Marika had a surprisingly overprotective nature, always ready to take care of everything. 

Marika, who has naturally long brown hair tied into a ponytail, seems to be the second most popular after Himeko, and Takashi, who is often with her, is envied by other guys.

Perhaps her overprotectiveness was a result of seeing me as a younger brother, as she had mentioned when rejecting a confession.

“I, uh, stayed at a friend’s house.”

Trying to convince myself that it wasn’t a lie, I responded to Marika’s questioning gaze. I couldn’t be sure about Himeno’s feelings, but we had shared comforting moments and meals together. Referring to her as a friend shouldn’t be an issue.

“You may not be lying, but you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

Being childhood friends for many years, Marika seemed to have a good grasp of my thoughts. Despite being the same age, she often took on the role of an older sister.

“Besides, Ta-kun, do you have any friends close enough to stay over besides me?”

Her words cut deep, and I stumbled over my response. Whether it was because of having a beautiful childhood friend or a lack of same-sex friends, I hardly had any friends close enough to stay overnight.

“Well, more importantly, I want to take a shower and have something to eat.”

“That’s true. Since you stayed out all night, we don’t have much time before school.”

Seemingly able to navigate through the situation, I hurriedly made my way from the entrance to the bathroom. The alcohol-infused chocolate from the night before had left me feeling sticky, and a shower was the first thing on my mind.

“Why is there a drink that can charge me in ten seconds?”

As I stepped out of the bath and made my way to the living room for breakfast, I was greeted only by a beverage on the table promising a quick nutrient boost in a mere ten seconds.

“Ta-kun, you don’t have time because you stayed out all night.”

Marika’s words carried a hint of tsundere, indicating her evident frustration. Even in the past, when I overslept, she’d insist I have a proper breakfast. This time, her anger was palpable about the all-nighter.

In the current absence of both my parents, Marika held the household together, akin to a crucial support beam. Without her, this place would fall into chaos.

While our dwelling was a reinforced concrete condo, not prone to literal collapse, my life would certainly unravel without Marika’s steadying presence.

“Hurry up and drink it. We need to go to school.”

“Yeah.”

Marika and I both quickly downed the beverage that promised a rapid charge. She grabbed her school bag, and we rushed off to school together.

***

(Huh? Surprisingly, we’re able to talk, aren’t we?)

While walking towards school, I suddenly realize that despite being rejected just yesterday, I’m having a normal conversation with Marika.

I half expected to see her face and be reminded of the rejection, maybe even shed a tear, but that’s not the case. We’re talking as if nothing happened.

It’s probably thanks to Himeno comforting me yesterday that I can handle being around Marika like this. Otherwise, it would still be tough to be together.

Grateful to Himeno for her comfort, I walked alongside Marika.

“Um, about yesterday, I’m sorry.”

Marika apologizes suddenly, looking genuinely remorseful. It seems she’s bothered by the fact that she turned down my confession.

“It’s okay.”

There’s no point in dating when she doesn’t see me romantically. It’s better for both of us to try to let it go. Holding onto it will only make things awkward and distant between us.

Since I rely on Marika a lot for meals, it would be really inconvenient to distance myself from her. Maybe it’s best for both of us to forget about the confession. We seem to be getting along better than I expected, and with time, we might be able to move on.

“Ta-kun, you’re really kind. You’re a little brother I’m proud to have as a big sister.”

She intertwines her fingers with my right hand, the one not carrying a school bag.

It’s situations like this, where she naturally does things reserved for couples, that make it challenging. Because of this, it might take me a while to completely move on.

Even though I don’t want her to let go, I can’t deny that I’ve developed feelings for her, especially when she does things like this so naturally.

Completely giving up after just one day is impossible. Besides, it’s not entirely painless to have our hands linked when we can’t be in a romantic relationship. I wish she would show a little restraint.

“But staying out all night is not okay.”

She tightens her grip on my hand, and I can feel the pressure.

“I’ll be more careful.”

She seems really angry, repeating herself several times. I couldn’t help but think that if there’s ever a situation where I might stay overnight again, I need to communicate it clearly.

Unaware of the scene of us walking together, hand in hand, a silver-haired female student passes by…