The Beautiful Girl With a Kind Personality and Good Looks, Who Happens to Be My Childhood Friend, Seems to Have Eyes Only for Me
side Kamiya Yamato
The noise outside grew louder. I thought I heard something like a bell ring earlier, so class must be over.
Holding onto my despair, I had no idea how much time I’d wasted in the bathroom stall.
Washing my face didn’t make the redness in my eyes fade. The reflection in the mirror looked utterly pathetic.
The door clicked open.
โPhew, finally over.โ
โHey. Seriously, today’s topics never end, huh?โ
My heart thumped.
Please stop, I thought. I didn’t want to hear anything more.
โI saw it earlier, but there’s another post on the bulletin board.โ
โSeriously? What’s it say this time?โ
Footsteps approached. The sound of someone using the restroom.
โI thinkโฆ the initials are Y.K., apparently.โ
โHuh? That narrows it down a lot.โ
โYeah. So on the bulletin board, someone wrote in the replies that at our school, there’s one person with those initials in each grade.โ
โWhoa, the identification team’s way too fast.โ
โIn our grade, Y.K., Y.Kโฆ.โ
Then, my mind went completely blank.
No.
I forcefully unlocked the stall door and pushed it open.
Squeeeeeek
“Whoa!?”
The two people standing in front of the toilet turned around at the same time.
“It’sโฆKamiya. What a surprise.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
His eyes searched. The mouth that had been gossiping until just now suddenly looked worried.
I couldn’t quite manage my expression.
โYeahโฆโ
That was all I said. I kept my head down and headed for the exit. As we passed, their gaze stabbed into my back. Just before I stepped out of the restroom, I heard a small voice.
โโฆY.K. is Kamiya, rightโฆโ
My feet almost stopped for a second, but I couldn’t stop.
I walked straight out into the hallway.
I couldn’t breathe properly.
The quiet hallway. It should have been crowded during lunch break, but my chest still felt unsettled.
My eyes drifted to the window.
From here, I could see the courtyard.
It must have been lunchtime; several groups of students were outside. Some couples too.
Laughter. A cheerful atmosphere. It felt like another world.
And among themโI spotted a familiar figure.
โโฆAh.โ
Haru and Yuma.
They walked side by side. Close enough their arms touched, laughing naturally together.
They looked happy, relaxed,
and no matter how you looked at itโthey were a perfect couple.
My chest felt like it was being crushed.
It used to be different.
At least, that’s what everyone said.
โYamato and Haru are perfect for each other,โ they’d tease me, over and over.
I didn’t mind it, because I liked Haru too. I was confident I was reasonably good-looking, and I’d been confessed to countless times throughout elementary, middle, and high school.
So, somewhere deep down, I’d thoughtโฆ
That I’d be the one beside her in the end.
But I was wrong.
Maybe that โperfect matchโ comment was just everyone finding amusement in our convenient relationship as childhood friends who happened to be close.
A word game to kill time.
Realityโit’s right there.
Then.
Haru suddenly lifted her face.
Our eyes met.
โโฆ!โ
I reflexively looked away. My heart made an unpleasant leap.
Those eyes.
They seemed far colder than when she rejected my confession.
Eyes that no longer expected anything.
Maybe she saw the rumors on the bulletin board.
Maybe she already thinks I’m one of โthose people.โ
Contempt.
Distance.
The gaze reserved for a stranger.
Terrified, I started walking away as if fleeing the spot.
I stood before the classroom door.
Even though I only needed to open it, it took an absurdly long time.
Squeakโ
For a split second, the air inside seemed to freeze.
โโฆHuh? Yamato-kun’s back.โ
โYou skipped morning class, didn’t you?โ
โSo Kamiya skips class too, huh?โ
A small voice.
But I heard every word.
โโฆMaybe? Like, he’s bummed out because Ayase-san got taken?โ
โOr maybe, the bulletin boardโโ
Someone trailed off there.
But it was too late. After the initials came up, the stares directed at me only intensified.
I said nothing and headed for my seat.
The sound of my chair scraping back echoed uncomfortably loud.
The stares felt like needles.
But I didn’t have the courage to lift my face.
I put on my headphones and pretended to sleep.
After school.
Honestly, I didn’t want to go to club activities.
ใI didn’t want to see anyone, and I didn’t know what kind of face to make.
But I had to go. The tournament was coming up soon, and if I skipped, who knows what that acorn-headed advisor would say.
โฆIt’ll be fine. If I act confident, no one will notice.
Even after that accident, I’d gone about my days acting like nothing had happened. It wasn’t like one or two days of acting weird would change anything now.
I told myself that as I opened the club room door.
Squeak.
Inside were Maho and Koharu.
โAhโฆโ
Their voices overlapped perfectly. Their reaction sent a chill deep into my chest.
โโฆWhat’s wrong?โ
I tried to sound as normal as possible.
โNothingโฆ really.โ
Maho answered, averting her eyes. Beside her, Koharu glanced at Maho’s face for just an instant before turning toward me, flustered.
โS-senpai! Good luck today!โ
Her voice was unnaturally bright. Her desperate attempt to cover up the awkwardness was painfully obvious.
โAhโฆ okay.โ
I replied curtly and headed toward my locker.
I felt eyes on my back. I thought I heard small, hushed voices, but I pretended not to hear them.
โNot yet. Nothing’s been confirmed yet.
It’s just a rumor. No names were mentioned. No proof.
I just need to act normal. Like I always have, with a face that shows nothing.
The sound of balls bouncing echoed through the gym.
Squeak, squeakโthe sound of shoes scraping the floor.
The rhythm of dribbling.
The advisor’s whistle.
โAlright, warm-ups done! Three-man drills!โ
Three-man fast break.
Normally, my body moves automatically through this drill.
The flow to the layup, the timing of the passโit should all be ingrained by now. But today, my vision feels unnaturally narrow.
โKamiya! Run!โ
My name snaps me back. I sprint full speed up the sideline. A chest pass flies from the guy at the top. The instant I catch it, a hard thud from the side.
โWhoaโฆ!โ
My balance wobbles, but I manage to take one step and go for the layup. The ball hits the rim and bounces out.
โWhat the hell, Kamiya! You gotta make that!โ
His voice carried a hint of laughter. But his eyes weren’t smiling.
Next rotation. This time, I’m on the pass side.
Just as I tried to bounce the ball to my teammate drifting to the wing, I got shoved hard from behind.
โOops, sorry, sorry.โ
His tone didn’t sound sorry at all.
The ball slipped away, turnover.
Immediately switched to defense.
The moment I got my man, an elbow dug into my ribs.
โGuhโฆโ
โPut your body on him, Kamiya.โ
Got caught in the screen. My switch was late, and they got an easy shot off.
Next up, half-court 5-on-5.
I’m waiting in the corner.
A teammate drives and kicks it out to me.
โNice!โ
The moment I start my shooting motion, the guy checking me hits me way too hard. His shoulder collides with mine, throwing off my shot.
I jump for the rebound off the rim.
โThud!!
I get pushed in midair. My landing is messed up, and I fall on my butt.
โHey, hey, your rebounding’s too weak.โ
Someone’s voice. Laughter mixed in.
โฆYou did that on purpose. It’s because of that bulletin board post.
I know. But I can’t say anything.
When I got up and looked around, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. Someone else was being pushed hard in the scramble for position.
Under the basket.
The moment he jumped for the rebound, the junior was shoved hard in the back, throwing off his balance.
It was Kusunoki Yuya.
โS-sorry!โ
He reflexively apologized, hands pressed against the floor.
โKusunoki, build some muscle, man!โ
โYou’re way too light!โ
They were saying it with laughter, but the hit was clearly hard. Kusunoki tried repeatedly to reclaim his position, but each time he was bounced off and pushed outward.
โฆJust like me.
No mistake made, yet unnecessarily strong contact.
Contact beyond what’s needed.
It wasn’t accidental.
A sweat, different from the gym’s heat, ran down my back.
Maiasa