Chapter 3: My Childhood Friend Is Trying to Get Closer to My Best Friend
My Childhood Friend Is Trying to Get Closer to My Best Friend
As always, I pretended to be asleep with my head on my desk while secretly watching Youichi in front of me. Akari stood by his side with a bright smile. Before homeroom even began, the two of them were already chatting in their usual friendly way, and their cheerful mood seemed to lighten the whole class. Just watching them made me feel miserable.
“You two, get to your seats.”
“Alright, Kikuchi-kun, see you later!”
“Yeah, see you.”
The teacher arrived and their conversation finally stopped. The relief I felt left a sour taste in my mouth. There is nothing wrong with classmates getting along. So why does it make me feel so awful?
“I am the one who has always been with her.”
I grumbled under my breath. We had been together since kindergarten. We had even bathed together. So why Youichi now, Akari? You have known him since middle school. How did you start liking him only at this point? I feel ridiculous.
This is sad. Maybe it is because I never confessed. But there is no way I can suddenly say something like “I like you” at our age. Our houses are next door and we grew up almost like family. Confessing now would be unbearably embarrassing. I guess I have no right to laugh at how shy Akari is.
“Ow!”
“Hey, are you listening, Shimada?”
Laughter erupted through the class. I had been so distracted that the teacher threw a piece of chalk at me. Great. Even Akari is laughing. Today is going to be terrible.
“See you!”
“See you tomorrow!”
I went through my classes in a fog of gloom, and before I realized it, the day was over. When I reached the entrance, I heard everyone around me calling out their goodbyes with energy I could not match.
“…”
I silently pulled my sneakers from the locker. In the end, I barely talked to Akari at all today. Every time I thought about approaching her, she was already in conversation with Youichi. I get along with him too, so joining them should not be difficult. But they looked so happy together that interrupting felt wrong.
“Hey, Kikuchi-kun.”
“Yeah, I know.”
At that moment, I heard Akari and Youichi speaking on the other side of the shoe lockers. They were talking quietly. I knew I should not listen, but I found myself leaning in anyway.
“Tomorrow after school, right?”
“Of course. I will go straight there once classes end.”
Tomorrow after school. Right, all the clubs were canceled because of a teachers’ meeting. Which means those two are free. They are not planning a date, are they? No, Akari would not go out with anyone but me.
“Hehe, it is finally happening.”
“Yeah. I have been looking forward to it.”
Looking forward to it. Youichi only cares about soccer and games. If he is looking forward to something, it must be serious. No way. No way, right?
“But maybe it is a little early.”
“It is fine. We were going to do it eventually.”
Why is Youichi so fired up? And what does he mean by “we were going to do it eventually”? I had no idea what they meant and could only stand there, confused. Then Akari said something that crushed me.
“Then just like we promised, come to my house tomorrow.”
“Ahaha, I am getting nervous.”
He is going to Akari’s house to do something they were going to do eventually. The moment that realization hit me, it felt like all the blood drained from my body.