The Beautiful Girl With a Kind Personality and Good Looks, Who Happens to Be My Childhood Friend, Seems to Have Eyes Only for Me
Right now, I—Asahina Yuma —am waiting for them at a small intersection along my way to school.
A crossroads at the corner of a residential area, without even a traffic light.
Students heading to school scatter off in different directions, and usually only those meeting someone stop here.
The morning air still held a slight chill, and even through my uniform, I could sense the lingering traces of spring.
Adjusting my bag over my shoulder, I pulled out my phone and stared at the screen.
The time was almost the same as usual.
Yet, for some reason, today, the time felt unnaturally long.
(…Still not here?)
(…Today’s the first-year entrance ceremony, and those guys…)
I opened the messaging app, but there were no new notifications.
There wasn’t really anything important enough to send, so I closed the screen.
It’s not that I dislike waiting.
In fact, I shouldn’t dislike this kind of time spent waiting for someone.
—It’s just that, deep down inside, I feel a little uneasy.
I know the reason.
It’s because the ones I’m waiting for here aren’t “someone,” but “those two.”
The two who’ve been together since childhood, still walking beside each other as naturally as ever.
And I walk right beside them, just a friend.
…No, I should be just a friend.
I lift my gaze. The road stretches straight ahead across the intersection.
From beyond it, students in uniforms appear here and there, passing by and moving on.
I recognized a few faces, but the one I was looking for wasn’t in sight yet.
(She’s a bit late today.)
Just as I thought that…
From the far end of the gentle curve, a familiar silhouette appeared.
The two of them approached at a light jog.
When they were close enough to reach out and touch, the one who spoke first was—
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The owner of that calm voice: Kamiya Yamato.
Top grades, athletic, great personality. And handsome. The kind of guy who naturally becomes the center of the class.
And beside him.
“We’re late. Sorry, Yuma.”
Saying that with a smile was Ayase Haru.
Long hair flowing smoothly in the breeze, a straight and gentle gaze.
Her appearance was undeniably beautiful, and indeed, the class’s gaze always gravitated toward her.
…To be honest.
When these two stood together, it felt like there was simply no place for me.
Yamato was Haru’s childhood friend, always together since long ago. And honestly, they looked perfect together no matter how you looked at them.
(Yeah, yeah, living the high school life…)
I muttered that to myself, right then.
“Well then, shall we go, Yuma?”
“…Yeah.”
Haru said that, and I started walking.
…Wait, hold on.
Why is she coming to stand beside me so naturally?
Not between me and Yamato, but on the opposite side, right next to me alone.
I’m just an ordinary high school student.
I don’t stand out, and I don’t have any special talents.
And yet—
“What’s wrong?”
Maybe because I’d been staring at Haru’s face, she tilted her head in puzzlement.
“…Nothing.”
I hurriedly looked away and picked up my pace slightly.
Ayase Haru.
The class beauty everyone knows, always smiling, kind to everyone.
Kamiya Yamato is her childhood friend, the one who should naturally belong beside her.
Yet, Haru—
“Yuma! Don’t leave me behind. Come on, let’s go together?”
Saying that, Haru took my hand without hesitation.
Her soft fingertips intertwined with mine, and pulled along, I took a step forward.
(…What’s gotten into you lately?)
I almost blurted it out, but swallowed the words.
Because at the edge of my vision, I caught sight of Yamato wearing an expression I couldn’t quite place.
Haru pulled my hand.
Just that simple, casual gesture. Yet, in that instant, I distinctly felt the air between the three of us grow slightly tense.
My heart thumped hard in my chest.
Was it surprise? Confusion? Or something else entirely? I couldn’t quite tell myself.
It wasn’t like I wanted to upset anyone.
I don’t intend to do anything Haru doesn’t want, nor do I want to hurt my best friend Yamato on purpose.
—And yet.
Every time Haru stands beside me and takes my hand as if it were the most natural thing,
every time Yamato’s gaze brushes mine for just an instant,
I feel like a tiny “discrepancy” has crept into the relationship that should be perfectly aligned between the three of us.
It’s not big enough to put into clear words.
No one gets angry, no one gets hurt.
But it’s strangely hard to ignore, like something caught in my chest.
Maybe I’m just overthinking it.
Maybe I’m just finding meaning where there is none.
“…Fufu.”
Seeing my face, Haru smiled cheerfully for some reason.
Come to think of it, this is another question.
Why has Haru been so close to me lately?
We’ve been close since middle school. But this current closeness can’t be explained by that alone.
If there is a reason… will I ever find out?
Thinking such things, we started walking toward school.
“Yuma, you seem deep in thought. Let’s go ahead, Haru. It’s the entrance ceremony today, and they’re announcing your sister’s class, right?”
“Huh? Is it that time already? The entrance is probably already crowded…”
“Don’t you wonder which class she’ll be in? Who she’ll be with?”
“Well, I do wonder…”
Ignoring Haru’s slightly evasive response, Yamato half-forcefully grabbed her hand and started running.
“Hey, wait up, Yamato”
My pace must have been a bit slow. My hand slipped from Haru’s, and I was left behind. Watching their retreating figures, I found myself thinking something carefree like, “Ah, youth…”
——Tch
“…I heard that wrong, right?”
The instant Yamato grabbed Haru’s hand and started running.
I thought I heard Haru make a clicking sound with her tongue.
…Nah, probably just my imagination.
There’s no way Haru—the class idol, the one everyone calls a “goddess” for her looks and personality—would do something like that.
“Whoops, guess I better hurry up too.”
I slung my bag back over my shoulder and started running to catch up with them.
Maiasa