Chapter 32 New Friend?

New Friend?

She said she would change the location, but there weren’t that many places where we could talk quietly, so we came to the rooftop of the side building. There was an idea to go to a family restaurant or a café, but we didn’t want to be overheard, so we ended up here.

And then, Aoi-senpai casually tells how she grew up and what she thought about herself until now. …

“… So you see, just as I was about to commit su🬀🬀ide here, Hiiragi-kun appeared through that door. …”

“So, that’s what happened.”

“Yes, after that we ran far away… And that’s how the rumors started…”

Aoi-senpai said that in a nostalgic way and laughed to cover it up.

“But still, I’m grateful to the ‘past me’ now.”

“Why?”

“Because I was able to meet Hiiragi-kun and become friends with him.”

She looked at me and smiled. I wanted to say something in response to her smile, but all I could do was open my mouth without words coming out.

“This is the end of the story of my past. My pathetic past that I took upon myself and tried to kill myself because I couldn’t see anything anymore.”

“…Ah, so. …All this time I’ve misunderstood.…”

“…?”

Shinomiya-san opens her mouth and speaks as if she has made up her mind,

“… I was under the mistaken impression that people like the student council president, unlike me, were always in a glamorous place, enjoying their youth and spending their days in a carefree manner. And even though it was my selfishness… I hated those people myself. I thought they didn’t know what I was going through. … I’m sorry.”

Saying that, Shinomiya-san bowed her head.

Aoi-senpai, on the other hand, wasn’t offended by Shinomiya-san’s words and turned her gentle eyes towards her.

“It’s okay, that’s fine. I didn’t know Shinomiya-san was being bullied either, even though I was the student council president.”

“But that’s …”

“I think there are many things we humans don’t know and many things we unconsciously look away from or turn away from. It’s just that now, we’re saying what we think and making the other person aware of it. I think it’s probably wiser to deal with it that way. I guess that’s what being an adult means.”

Taking a breath, Aoi-senpai continues,

“So it’s not Shinomiya-san’s fault. I might’ve done the same thing, so it’s mutual.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Besides, we’re friends, right?”

Aoi-senpai held out her hand to Shinomiya-san and patted her head.

She was a little nervous at first, but then she accepted it.

“Hey, Shinomiya-san…”

“Yes?”

“If you don’t mind, and I know we’re still in the early stages of our relationship. But can you tell us how you were bullied?”

Shinomiya-san took a few dozen seconds after hearing those words “Okay, I understand. I’ll talk to Hiiragi-senpai and Kudo-senpai tomorrow after school.” and said so.

“Okay, I think it’s time to end this dark conversation and go home. It looks like school will be closing soon.”

“Right.”

Since we were all on the ground, we got up and dusted ourselves off before heading down the stairs and headed to shoeboxes.

We had to say goodbye to Shinomiya-san at the school gate, as our way home seemed to be a little different.

“See you tomorrow, Shinomiya-san.”

“See you tomorrow. Hiiragi-senpai. Kudo-senpai.”

“See you tomorrow.”

After seeing Shinomiya-san leave, Aoi-senpai and I started to leave as well. …

“Hey, Hiiragi-kun…”

“Yes?”

“I feel like I can be good friends with Shinomiya-san from now on.”

“I see.”

“Of course, you too, Hiiragi-kun…”

“Is that so?”

We left with that conversation.