Chapter 7 We Became Friends

We Became Friends

“Haa, haa…”

Out of breath, we finally stopped running.

The quiet courtyard.

The only sounds were our heavy breathing.

“Irara… you run way too fast…”

“Ehehe, do you think it makes me more charming?”

“That only works in elementary school.”

When I said that, Irara burst into laughter.

“Ahaha~! Kyogoku-kun, you’re so funny!”

“Am I?”

I don’t think I have a face made for entertaining people.

“Yep! You’re super funny! You might even be the funniest person I’ve ever met.”

“That’s… kind of a heavy burden to bear…”

“Don’t worry! Just being yourself is funny enough! Wait, could it be? Kyogoku-kun, are you a genius?! Yes, a genius!”

“Being funny just by being normal is practically an insult, isn’t it?”

“…W-Well, maybe?”

You could’ve at least denied it…

…Seriously, what are we even talking about?

Especially after I confronted Nakano so seriously just moments ago.

And yet, here we are having this silly, lighthearted conversation.

“Thank you, Kyogoku-kun.”

“…I didn’t do anything worth thanking me for. I just said what I wanted to say.”

I didn’t act for Irara’s sake, nor did I try to play some kind of hero.

Because I’m just me. I always prioritize myself, and the reason I spoke to Nakano like that was simply because I couldn’t forgive him.

So there’s no reason for Irara to thank me.

“…Hey, Kyogoku-kun.”

Irara peered up at me, her face close to mine.

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked away.

“W-What is it?”

“You know, Kyogoku-kun… You’re not very honest, are you? You’re kind of… twisted?”

“W-What? I’m not twisted or anything…”

“Nope! You’re definitely twisted! I’m pretty good at reading people, you know!”

If you were that good at reading people, you wouldn’t have been cheated on… but I decided not to say that.

“But you know…”

Irara raised her index finger with a mischievous smile.

“That part of you… it’s kind of cute.”

“Wha—?! Being called cute isn’t exactly a compliment for a guy…”

“Okay then, how about cool?”

“Being ‘cool’ and twisted only worked in old light novels…”

“Oh, I see! Then maybe it’s more like… ‘endearing’ cute?”

“E-Endearing…?!”

“Yep! Endearing!”

I’ve never been called that before.

And especially not by someone as cute as Irara…

My heart was racing when Irara suddenly froze.

“N-No! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean it in a romantic way! But if I deny it outright, it’ll sound like I don’t care about you at all, and that might hurt your feelings… Uwaaah! Kyogoku-kun, what should I do?!”

“D-Don’t ask me!”

“Ugh… Japanese is so hard…”

Irara’s eyes were teary.

Talking to her like this, I felt like I finally understood why everyone likes her so much.

Unlike me, who is always cynical, she doesn’t overthink things. She’s straightforward, honest, and pure in how she interacts with others.

That sincerity makes people feel at ease around her.

“A-Anyway! What I wanted to say is… Thank you, Kyogoku-kun. Honestly, I’m really glad you said those things to Yuya. I don’t think I could have said them myself.”

Irara smiled weakly, as if mocking herself.

“The fog in my heart feels like it’s cleared up now, thanks to you. So… thank you. Will you accept my gratitude, honestly?”

Hearing her say that, there was no way I could refuse.

“…Alright.”

“Ehehe, thank you!”

Her smile really is dazzling.

And it suits her perfectly.

“But you know, despite everything, I’m really happy~! Even after all those bad things happened, I managed to make a really good friend.”

“…Wait, friend?”

“Yep, friend!”

“…Huh?”

“…Huh?”

We both stood there with our mouths slightly open, tilting our heads in confusion.

“Ehhh?! D-Does that mean I’m the only one who thought we were friends after all that?! Was this one-sided? If that’s the case, it’s super super super embarrassing!!!”

“N-No, it’s not like that… I just… I’ve never had a friend before, so I don’t even know what defines a friend.”

“Yeah, that’s true… There’s no application form or anything. But still, you kind of just ‘know’… Ah, I know!”

As if struck by an idea, Irara rummaged through her pocket.

She pulled out two small, square-shaped objects wrapped in silver foil…

“Chocolate! Here, take one!”

“H-Huh?”

“Friends share snacks, right? If we share these, then we’re definitely friends! Yep, no doubt about it! Ehehe…so tasty.”

Hey! You’re getting distracted by the chocolate, aren’t you…

…But honestly, that’s just so like her.

“Well, I’ll accept it, then…”

“Yay! Nom! Mmm~ Delicious~~!”

Irara’s expression softened as she enjoyed the chocolate.

The sweetness of the chocolate spread across my tongue as well.

“Ehehe, now we’re officially friends, Kyogoku-kun!”

“Y-Yeah… Nice to meet you, Irara.”

“Nice to meet you too!”

Confused as I was, I couldn’t deny the faint sense of joy bubbling in my chest.

To hide my embarrassment, I focused on the chocolate in my mouth.

“…It’s sweet.”

And just like that, Irara and I became friends.

The sweetness of the chocolate lingered, and for the first time, I felt like my gray high school life might be starting to change.