Chapter 38: Though He Thought He Had Given Up (4)
Though He Thought He Had Given Up (4)
“If you’re going to go that far, Taichi, then I guess it can’t be helped. Alright, let’s keep playing together from now on. And of course, it’ll be our little secret, just the two of us.”
“Uugh… That’s not okay. It wouldn’t be fair to my friend, so I can’t.”
“Huh? But you said you’d do anything, didn’t you? Actually, if I can’t play with you, Taichi, I think I’ll end up disliking that friend of yours. So in the end, you’ll be the one getting in the way of your friend.”
“No, n-no way!?”
With a beaming smile, Yuki said that, and Taichi held his head in his hands.
Feeling completely overwhelmed, Taichi looked utterly defeated.
As his thoughts spiraled, Yuki leaned in closer and whispered, as if to push him further.
“But you know, if you stay with me, none of that will happen. I won’t come to dislike that person, and I get to have fun playing with you too, Taichi. See? Everyone’s happy, right?”
“But… my friend is worried about me getting too close to you, Ueno-san.”
“Hmm, if you’re really serious about doing what’s best for your friend, then I think there’s only one choice for you, Taichi. By rejecting my offer, you’re the one trampling on your friend’s feelings.”
The more he listened to Yuki’s words, the more cornered Taichi felt.
It was as if there had never been a choice to begin with, and he started to feel like he had no option but to go along with what Yuki said.
In reality, if he didn’t accept Yuki’s conditions, Subaru’s love would come to an end, so it wasn’t wrong.
If he followed Subaru’s wishes as they were, it would be Taichi himself who ended Subaru’s love.
Even so, Taichi still couldn’t bring himself to nod right away.
Because he didn’t have the courage to clearly betray Subaru.
“Aah, ah, what am I supposed to do…?”
Taichi collapsed to his knees.
He truly no longer knew what to do anymore.
Losing even the will to think, he could only look up at Yuki in desperation.
When their eyes met, Yuki smiled sweetly.
“If you can’t decide for yourself, then I’ll decide for you. Just now, you said you’d do anything, right? Then listen to what I say. From now on, you’re going to keep playing with me. But you know, Taichi, you’re not doing anything wrong, okay? Because you’re only doing what I tell you to.”
“…I’m not doing anything wrong?”
“Of course not. You’re not doing anything wrong, Taichi. Because you’re only being made to listen to me. I’m the one at fault. Besides, you’re forcing yourself to go along with it so you don’t ruin your friend’s love, right? How could that be wrong? If anything, you should be thanked by that friend.”
It was like the whisper of a devil.
The words “you’re not doing anything wrong” that Yuki gave him slipped into Taichi’s heart with ease.
I’m only playing with her because she told me to, so I’m not doing anything wrong.
I accepted playing with Yuki to protect Subaru’s love, so I’m not doing anything wrong.
In fact, I’m working myself to the bone for Subaru’s sake. I have every reason to be appreciated, not resented.
Such thoughts began to slowly consume Taichi.
“If your friend says it’s okay now, then that person will be making a move soon, right? It should be easy to figure out who it is. And if you refuse my request, I’ll reject their confession by saying it’s Taichi’s fault, you know? If that happens, no matter how you look at it, you won’t be able to stay friends with them.”
If Yuki’s words were to be believed, then for now she still believed Taichi’s lie and hadn’t figured out it was Subaru.
However, she had already figured out that someone would soon start approaching.
Even with the preconception that it’s someone from another class, Subaru’s level of boldness might raise suspicion.
And if that causes Subaru to get rejected, then rather than helping, he would be getting in the way.
If Subaru’s feelings went unrewarded because of Taichi, there was no doubt he would be cut off by Subaru.
Taichi only had two friends in his life so far, both childhood friends. If one of them, Subaru, came to hate him, then inevitably, Akari would also drift away from him.
If that happened, Taichi would truly be all alone.
And that situation was exactly what Taichi feared most.
It’s just playing together, and it’s totally normal to hang out with classmates. Even if it’s between a boy and a girl, it’s not that unusual.
Considering how his choice could end Subaru’s love right away, Taichi began to feel that there wasn’t even any need to hesitate anymore.
“So? What are you going to do, Taichi?”
“…Alright. I’ll do what you say, Ueno-san.”
The moment Taichi said that, Yuki smiled like a flower blooming.
“But, um, it’s only because you told me to, Ueno-san. I didn’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s fine. You’re not doing anything wrong, Taichi. If anything, you’re trying really hard for your friend. Good boy.”
“But you absolutely can’t tell anyone, okay?”
“You don’t even have to say it. Of course I’ll keep it secret. It’s just between you and me, our little secret.”
Yuki patted Taichi’s head.
Her touch was gentle, as if handling something precious. The way she looked at Taichi, with narrowed eyes, was like she was admiring something dear.
Taichi was embarrassed, but he couldn’t pull away from the pleasant feeling of Yuki’s hand and couldn’t bring himself to move.
Before he knew it, Yuki was hugging him.
Taichi, who reflexively caught Yuki as she jumped at him, felt like his whole body was being enveloped by her and his head started to spin.
Yuki’s body felt so incredibly pleasant that Taichi was paralyzed and couldn’t move at all.
The nice scent coming from her overwhelmed him, and Taichi couldn’t stay standing, leaning into her as she embraced him.
Taichi no longer had the strength to pull away from Yuki.
Thankfully, there were no people around, but this was still outside.
Even though Taichi knew that doing something like this was not okay if someone were to see them, once he was gently held, he couldn’t pull away from Yuki, who was so warm and comforting.
“Hey Taichi, can you go back to calling me by my name?”
“U-Uh, that’s…”
“It’s fine, right? We promised, didn’t we? When we’re alone, you’ll call me by name.”
“Y-Yeah… Yuki, san.”
“Yes, very good. I’ll give you a pat.”
Just like soothing a child, Yuki gently stroked his head.
It felt so comforting to Taichi that he wanted to stay in that moment forever.
“Looks like our secret, just between you and me, has grown again.”
Her whispered voice made Taichi’s body tremble.
Still wrapped in Yuki’s embrace, Taichi, with a bit of hesitation, slowly placed his hands on her back.