Chapter 42 Someone Important

Someone Important

I had such a thought that I would never be involved with Akasaka-san again, but.

“I’m really sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“I understand. So please stop bowing.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Another week after I met Akasaka-san at the café, I ran into her while walking nearby.

When she saw me, she reacted the same way as before and then started to bow her head.

The difference was that Akasaka-san wasn’t with her friends, and today Shinomiya-san was here.

It seems that Shinomiya-san and Aoi-senpai are in contact, so we decided to meet after school today, and here we are.

Shinomiya-san no longer comes to school, but her situation seems to be going in the right direction, and her parents are talking to the parents of the bullies and the school.

It seems that the girls who bullied her have been suspended and are not coming to school either. We will have to wait and see what happens, but Aoi-senpai told me that Shinomiya-san’s parents are very angry, so maybe things will turn out well for her…

“Because of me, I messed up Hiiragi-kun’s life, and, instead I went to school as normal …”

“It doesn’t really matter now, so… Can you please stop bowing to me?”

“Hiiragi-kun already said that, and I agree, it’s pointless to go any further.”

“… Understood.”

Akasaka-san lifts her bowed head.

She has dark, short hair, and her eyes were always sharp, but now they’re a little puffy, probably from a little crying. Her height is probably a little below average for a girl.

“…really. I’m really sorry.”

Saying that, she left…

“…Hiiragi-kun. This may be annoying, but from now on, let’s walk home together every day.”

“Every day? I don’t mind, but won’t it bother Aoi-senpai?”

“I won’t. I’d be rather happy if I could walk home with Hiiragi-kun every day.”

“I see, that’s fine.”

I feel like I’m relying too much on Aoi-senpai, but it’s better to follow her instructions than to do something strange myself, so I just nod my head and go along with her.

“Shuu-senpai, Aoi-senpai. When I can go to school again, can I come home with you…?”

Speaking of which, there is at least one other thing that has changed.

That is the change in the way I am called.

The way Shinomiya-san calls me has changed. She changed from Hiiragi-senpai to Shuu-senpai, and Kudo-senpai to Aoi-senpai.

The way Aoi-senpai calls Shinomiya-san has also changed, and now she calls her Saya.

I still wonder if it’s okay for someone like me to call her by her name…

“Of course. I want to go home with Saya, too.”

“If it’s okay with me too, Shinomiya-san.”

“Thanks, I’m looking forward to it.”

Shinomiya-san smiled at me.

“Well, let’s go home then.”

“Yes, let’s go home.”

“Yes”

I went home with Shinomiya-san and Aoi-senpai.

Aoi’s PoV

“Aoi-senpai, I’m sorry. I took your time.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I have nothing to do but study when I’m at home. Besides, I can afford to go to the university of my choice now, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

Saya asked me to give her some time, and I told Hiiragi-kun that I wanted to talk to her about the thing with Saya, so I told him a little lie, even though it was painful, and we parted.

“So what you want to ask me might be about Hiiragi-kun?”

“Yes. I heard about Aoi-senpai’s past, but I didn’t hear about Shuu-senpai’s past. But I was reluctant to ask him directly.”

“I see. But I don’t know much about it either, and I can’t talk indiscreetly about Hiiragi-kun just because we’re friends. But I can tell you a little bit.”

I told her about Hiiragi-kun’s past.

About Shiramine-san, about Akasaka-san, whom we met today, and about his family.

I chose my words carefully so that Hiiragi-kun wouldn’t hate me.

“… Ah, so it's like that… I knew there was something about Shuu-senpai from the first time I met him. There must be something darker than me. I remember being almost sucked in by those pitch-black eyes that didn’t reflect anything.”

“…I was like that too.”

Those eyes.

That black eye that seemed to take in the black part of me and paint my whole being as it was.

I was almost taken to a deeper abyss. No, I think I was actually taken.

But now I think that this is why I was so willing to accept Hiiragi-kun’s words and tell him about my past. Saya would probably feel the same way.

“I hope I can get along better with Shuu-senpai one day.”

“Me too, but not in a hurry.”

“I understand. As long as Shuu-senpai doesn't want to take action on his own, I’ll just keep watching. I don’t want to lose any more friends, and I won’t let them hurt Shuu-senpai.”

“I feel the same way. And I won’t let them hurt Hiiragi-kun either.”

I won’t let them hurt Hiiragi-kun anymore.

Even now, the situation is very dangerous.

If anything else happens to him, Hiiragi-kun will be broken.

As a friend and as someone who loves him, I won’t let that happen.

“Hiiragi-kun is important, but Saya is also an important friend. I look forward to going home with Saya like this.”

“Thank you. Me too, Aoi-senpai, and Shuu-senpai are important to me, and I love both.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

I was a little embarrassed by Saya’s words and turned my face away. I could imagine that Saya must’ve been embarrassed as well.

I wanted to appreciate this new friend even more.