Oneshot 2: Until I Became a Lawyer After Getting My Heart Broken by the Childhood Friend I Loved

Until I Became a Lawyer After Getting My Heart Broken by the Childhood Friend I Loved

Author: たんぽぽ

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2818ia

I was heartbroken when the childhood friend I liked got a boyfriend. By chance, I found inspiration and decided to aim for becoming a lawyer, throwing myself into studying.

Along the way, I even got a girlfriend, and now I am living a happy life.

Childhood friend? I do not know anything about that anymore.

“A senpai confessed to me, and starting today we’re dating.”

After school, on the way home together, my childhood friend told me that. We had lived in the same neighborhood since we were small, we were both only children, and our parents were close. We never made any childhood marriage promises, but I had always liked her and vaguely thought that someday we might become lovers. But deep down, I already understood. She, Tachibana Kaori, had always been strikingly beautiful and popular, while I was plain, just a background extra. Because of my introverted personality, I was not bullied, but I was simply part of the scenery in the corner of the classroom.

The only advantage I had was that I had known her since we were young. But I believed that I was the only close boy in her life, and that we both liked each other. Yes, I was only misunderstanding.

And that senpai who confessed to her was handsome and well-known across the school. I never had a chance from the start.

“R-right. Then we should keep our distance so no one misunderstands. Something came up, so I’ll go now.”

I, Yamada Jumpei, first year in high school, had just gotten my heart broken.

I honestly do not remember how I got home. Before I knew it, it was night, and I was lying on my bed with no strength left. Tears just kept flowing. I kept thinking over and over if I could have been her boyfriend had I confessed first.

I did not even have the courage to confess, and in the end I got rejected by my childhood friend. Maybe it would be better if I just disappeared.

Now I can laugh about it, but back then I truly meant it.

As I lay on the bed crying endlessly, my eyes fell on a book. It was the autobiography of a female lawyer. My parents gave it to me as a birthday present, but I had left it untouched. On impulse, I picked it up and began to read.

The contents were shocking. The author had lived through an extremely harsh life. With only a middle school education, she overcame countless hardships and became a lawyer. I could not help but question what I was doing with my life.

I felt ashamed for living without ambition, and I wanted to punch the version of myself crying over a heartbreak.

I was not a fast reader, but before I realized it, morning had come. I had stayed up reading all night. Luckily it was the weekend, so I did not have school.

“Maybe I can become a lawyer too if I try.”

I was surprised by the words I said to myself, yet the thought felt real.

I still had feelings about my childhood friend, but after crying all night and reading, maybe due to exhaustion, those emotions faded.

That day, I immediately enrolled in cram school.

After that, I distanced myself from my childhood friend. No, I avoided her. We no longer spoke or contacted each other.

On my first day at cram school, a plain girl with glasses sat next to me. I decided to greet her rather than ignore her.

“Hello, I am Yamada Jumpei. It is my first day, so I hope we get along.”

She seemed a bit surprised, but replied softly.

“Hello. I am Otsuka Sara. Nice to meet you.”

If this were a novel, youth would begin here, but nothing happened. I had suddenly started cram school, and since I was never into studying, it was hard to keep up. The girl next to me did not seem like the type who would become beautiful without glasses, and I was not someone who would become handsome if I fixed my hair. If I did anything weird or romantic comedy-like, I would probably be reported. So I had no expectations.

Instead, the more I worked, the more my grades went up. By the end of the first semester exams, I ranked 17th.

During the midterms, I had been average, so I was honestly shocked. Nothing about my youth changed, and I was still a background character in class, but I was happy to be moving toward my dream.

Why were there no gyaru who were kind to otaku sitting near me. Although I was not even an otaku.

Childhood friend? Studying became so demanding that I did not have the time to think about her. She did not contact me either. I still felt a little sad when I remembered her, but my feelings had cooled, so it no longer mattered.

Time passed and summer break arrived. I sat in my seat before cram school began, and the girl next to me, who usually never spoke, suddenly talked to me.

“Um, do you like that book?”

She was pointing at the autobiography. I reread it often whenever my heart hurt, but I had never brought it with me before. That day was the first time.

“Yes. After reading this book, I decided to become a lawyer.”

She spoke in a shy, quiet voice.

“My mother wrote that book. It feels embarrassing to hear someone talk about it directly.”

I was truly shocked.

“What? Really? Can I meet your mother? I would love to get her autograph.”

I exchanged contact information with a girl other than my childhood friend for the first time. I met the lawyer and received her autograph. It turned out she had been my mother’s classmate in elementary school.

After elementary school, my mother moved away and lost contact, but she saw a book written by her old friend, felt happy, bought it, and gave it to me.

Because of us children, the two reconnected, and our families began interacting. Naturally, I also began seeing Sara more often.

Sara attended an all-girls school. She did not become beautiful without her glasses, but she worked hard toward the same goal of becoming a lawyer. She was shy and introverted, but the more I knew her, the more charming she became.

On Christmas Eve, our families were gathered for dinner for some reason. Then the lawyer said something surprising.

“Since Jumpei is always working so hard, I want him to marry my daughter one day.”

Thinking back, she was just joking, but I panicked and blurted out my feelings.

“Um, I would like to date Sara.”

Realizing what I had said, I felt unbearably embarrassed. But maybe because it was Christmas Eve, I had the courage to continue.

“At first we were only seatmates, and I was too focused on studying to notice her. But we get along well, our personalities match, and as we worked toward the same goal, I found myself falling for her. Sara, please go out with me.”

“Yes. Please take care of me.”

Sara blushed and covered her face with her hands, but she accepted my confession.

I realized I had confessed in front of both families and wanted to sink into a hole, but our parents congratulated us warmly.

One winter day, on the way home from cram school, I told Sara honestly why I had enrolled. She smiled and said,

“I am grateful to Tachibana-san. If not for her, I would never have met you.”

Even though she had a plain appearance, I found myself loving her more.

Winter break ended and I returned to school. Rumors said that the senpai had been cheating with four girls at once and broke up with my childhood friend, but it no longer concerned me.

One day, while taking a walk to clear my head, I ran into my childhood friend’s mother for the first time in a long while.

“It has been a while, Jumpei-kun. Have you heard about Kaori? After breaking up with her boyfriend, she has been really struggling. I always thought she would date you. I know you two are distant now, but if she reaches out, please listen to her.”

I honestly did not understand the timing, but I said I understood.

A few days later, Kaori said she wanted to talk. It felt troublesome, but we met at a cafe.

“After breaking up with senpai, I have been thinking. I knew you liked me, and yet I accepted his confession. I am truly sorry. I have been regretting it ever since, so please give me one more chance.”

I was speechless.

“Listen, Tachibana-san. All of that is in the past. I do not mind anymore. You do not need to apologize.”

For some reason, she looked relieved.

“Really? Jumpei-kun. Thank you. I will devote myself to you from now on.”

“No. What I am saying is. Back then, you liked senpai and chose him. At that time, I liked you, but now you are simply someone I have known for a long time. I feel no affection and no resentment.”

“What?”

There were plenty of girls in the world. I did not understand why she thought my feelings would never change.

Back then, her choice was not wrong. Even if senpai turned out to be a terrible person, she liked him at that time and chose him over me. She had her freedom. I have mine too.

“Also, I have a girlfriend now. We do not need to ignore each other, but being acquaintances who have known each other for a long time is enough. Tachibana-san.”

“No way. That cannot be true.”

What could not be true. There is no rule that childhood friends must end up together. I did not understand why she believed I would cling to someone who never loved me. It hurt at first, but time moves people forward.

Her friends probably pushed her, thinking I still liked her. It only annoyed me. It felt like she was taking me lightly.

Before, the only girl I knew was my childhood friend. But I changed my environment with my own effort, and I met someone far better.

No matter how beautiful Tachibana was, our values and way of thinking were different. We simply were never meant to be.

After that, she never spoke to me again. I went to the same university as Sara. A few years later, we both passed the bar exam, and I immediately proposed. Now I am a lawyer and a father of two children.

The End.