Chapter 53: Reunion with an Ex-Childhood Friend
#21MotoKanojoReunion with an Ex-Childhood Friend
“Ah, you finally made it!”
“Sorry for the delay.”
By the time we arrived at the station, it was already five minutes past noon. Hatsune and I both bowed our heads in apology.
If that guy, Kazuki, hadn’t held us up, we would’ve made it on time with no problem…
“Haha, well, no big deal. More importantly, let’s eat already!”
“Agreed.”
With that, we headed into a well-known local hamburger steak restaurant near the station.
“Haha! You know, this place was even featured on TV!”
“Oh, really?”
Haha… bragging about a place just because it was on TV—such a classic local thing to do.
“Hatsune, what are you getting?”
“Hmm… Of course, I’m going with the 100% beef charcoal-grilled hamburger steak!”
“I see. Then I think I’ll go with the deluxe plate that comes with steak.”
“Ugh… that sounds so good too…”
Hatsune eyed my choice, looking genuinely conflicted.
“How about we share? That way, you can try some too.”
“Yeah! Yay!”
Yep, seeing Hatsune so happy is just too cute.
“Oh, have you decided?”
“Yeah, we’re ready to order.”
With that, we called over a waiter and placed our orders.
“So, Senpai, what’s the plan for today?”
“Hmm… Since we’re here, I’d like to show everyone around, but… you know how it is.”
“Yeah…”
The thing is, this town doesn’t have much in the way of tourist attractions.
There’s a somewhat famous shrine, but nothing particularly noteworthy about it…
“Sigh… If only it were the day after tomorrow, the Sakura Festival would be an easy choice.”
“That’s true.”
“Then why not just take the train somewhere?”
Mushakoji-san offered a perfectly reasonable suggestion.
“…Senpai, should we do that?”
“…Yeah. In that case, it’s a bit far, but how about we go see a castle?”
“““A castle?”””
Unexpectedly, all three of them perked up at the mention of a castle.
“Yeah, there’s a castle built by a famous Sengoku-era warlord about an hour away by train.”
“Plus, there’s a teahouse nearby where you can enjoy some dango with tea.”
“““Let’s go!”””
Looks like the dango completely won them over.
“Alright, then it’s settled—today’s plan is a castle tour!”
“Thank you for waiting! The iron plate is hot, so please be careful while eating!”
Just as we finalized our plans, our food arrived.
Without wasting a moment, we dug in.
“Wow… Yuuta, this is amazing!”
“Haha, glad you like it.”
Looks like the hamburger steak was a big hit with Hatsune.
“Hey, hey! When we get back to the apartment, I’ll make hamburgers for you!”
“Ohh! I’m really looking forward to it!”
Since Hatsune’s great at cooking, her hamburger steak is bound to be incredible.
…Well, honestly, anything she makes is delicious.
“Ah! Yuuta, I can see the castle!”
An hour after leaving the restaurant, we swayed along on the train.
Hatsune pointed excitedly at the castle, already visible from the station.
“Haha, yeah, that’s where we’re headed.”
“Hey! Over here!”
Sasaki-senpai waved us over, and we made our way to the bus stop.
“We’re taking a bus to the castle?”
“Yeah, walking from here would take more than thirty minutes.”
“Hee—… Oh, there’s a university here too, huh?”
“Ah—… yeah…”
At Hatsune’s comment, I hesitated for a moment.
This town is home to Shiroyama University, where many locals go, including graduates from the high school Sasaki-senpai and I attended.
If Hiyori hadn’t cheated on me… No, if I had never found out about it, maybe I would have ended up going to Shiroyama University too.
With Hiyori, together…
“Well, I always wanted to move to Tokyo, so Shiroyama University was never really an option for me.”
Sasaki-senpai, who had been listening, casually joined the conversation.
“W-Well, thanks to that, I got to meet Kouki, so… I guess it worked out for me.”
“O-Oh…”
Haha, Kinoshita-senpai and Sasaki-senpai are both blushing.
“Yuuta, did you… apply to Shiroyama University too?”
“…No, I never planned on going to a local university.”
“Ah… I see.”
Yeah… If I had stayed in town, I wouldn’t have been able to escape.
“Oh, the bus is here.”
A bus pulled into the station’s rotary, and one by one, passengers started stepping off—
“Ah…”
And among them… was her. The one who betrayed me—Hiyori.
“Yuuta? What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing… Wait—!”
Before I could react, Sasaki-senpai grabbed my arm and forcibly turned me away from the approaching passengers.
Haha… Of course, Sasaki-senpai noticed Hiyori too.
“Senpai, it’s fine.”
“Y-Yuuta… but…”
“Haha, she’s just a stranger now. It doesn’t matter.”
That’s right.
I already have the most wonderful girlfriend in the world—Hatsune. There’s no room in my heart for Hiyori anymore.
So…
“More importantly, let’s get on the bus.”
“A-Ah, yeah…”
Just as we were about to board through the back door—
“Eh…? Y-Yuu-kun…?”
Hiyori stood there, eyes wide, staring straight at me.