Chapter 25 On the Way Home with Nagi
#OtokotomodachiOn the Way Home with Nagi
One evening.
“Yawn… Haaah…”
I let out a huge yawn as I trudged through campus. Lately, I’d been overworking myself with too many part-time shifts, leading to constant sleep deprivation.
Still, even with all the work, I didn’t really mind. I actually enjoyed working, and earning money was always a good thing.
Plus, I’ve got plans for drinking parties, drives, and other outings coming up. For now, I’ve got to keep working hard to save up.
“Even so, I’ve really been having fun lately.”
Stretching lightly, I muttered those words to myself.
Sure, I’d felt a bit down after breaking up with my girlfriend, but hanging out with friends and going to parties helped me bounce back quickly.
Among them, I especially have to thank Nagi. Because Nagi has been hanging out with me a lot. He’s really kinder than anyone else and a great guy who cares about his friends.
“Haha, if I were a girl, I’d totally want to date someone as considerate as Nagi.”
“…What about me?”
“Wha—!? N-Nagi!?”
As I was absentmindedly muttering that, Nagi suddenly called out to me from behind. I was so surprised that I shouted loudly without thinking.
“Ahaha, you were way too surprised.”
“Well, of course I’d be startled if someone suddenly called out to me from behind.”
“Haha, sorry about that. So, are you heading home now, Taiki?”
“Yeah, that’s right. What about you? Are you heading home too?”
“Yep, I was just about to leave. Oh, hey, why don’t we walk home together?”
“Sure, sounds good. Let’s go.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
So, we decided to walk home together again today, as always. And on the way home, Nagi asked me this,
“Oh, that's right. Earlier, it sounded like you were saying my name… did you by any chance need something from me?”
“Ah… no, not really. I was just thinking about how much fun it is to hang out with you and ended up saying it out loud.”
“Huh, is that what you were saying? Haha, that’s a nice thing to overhear.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing for me, though. I didn’t think anyone would hear my muttering… Yawn… Haaah…”
“Ahaha, that's true… but that was a really big yawn! It's rare to see you yawning, Taiki. Did you stay up late last night?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I had a late shift at work, so I ended up going to bed really late. That’s why I can’t stop yawning today.”
“Ah, I see. Working hard is great, but make sure to take care of yourself, okay? Rest properly when you’re tired.”
“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I’m in top shape for next week’s drive.”
“Fufu, good. I’m glad to hear that.”
Nagi smiled warmly as he responded. But then…
“Still, it’s too bad about Nami-san. I was really looking forward to having her join us for the drive, but I guess work is work.”
“Eh? Ah, y-yeah. That’s true…”
When I mentioned Nami-san, Nagi suddenly looked a bit down.
A while back, I’d asked Nagi to invite Nami-san on our drive, but unfortunately, she couldn’t make it because of work.
I was a little disappointed, but I understood—work is work, after all.
“Ah, b-but you know, my sister was really disappointed too. She said she would’ve loved to go on a drive with you.”
“Oh, really? That’s nice to hear. Well, let’s plan another time when we can all go together.”
“Y-Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll talk to her about it.”
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
With that, I left the matter in Nagi’s hands. Hopefully, we’d get the chance to go on a drive with Nami-san someday.
As we continued chatting on our way home, something unexpected happened.
“…Ah! Finally found you! Hey, Taiki!”
“…Huh?”
“…Hm? Wait, is that—”
A loud voice called out to me, and when I looked ahead, I saw a woman pointing in my direction. She was someone I recognized immediately.
Standing there was a flashy gal with bright blonde hair, a slender figure, branded clothes, and bold piercings.
Her sharp eyes and perpetually annoyed expression were unmistakable—it was none other than my ex-girlfriend, Sera Nanami.