The Case of My Childhood Friend Who Became a Very Popular Model and Came Back to Fulfill a Promise We Made When We Were Children
“This is interesting, Ayumu! You’re like a professional writer!”
“R-really? W-well, I had a certain amount of confidence in it.
Of course.”
“Fufu~It was really interesting.”
It was when we were very young, before we were aware of each other as the opposite gender.
I think I was in the fourth grade of elementary school. Akane and I were playing at home as usual.
But today, instead of playing games as usual, I was reading her a story I had written.
“To be able to read such an interesting story for free, it’s a good thing to be your childhood friend.”
“That’s too much praise. As expected, I’m embarrassed …….”
“Because it’s true. It’s really interesting.”
Akane tightly hugs the free book in which my story is written.
Even though I had a look of “good grief” on my face, inside I felt like I was in heaven.
“Ayumu-kun, are you going to become a professional novelist in the future?”
I was asked this question, but I could not give an immediate answer.
Because I had never thought about such a thing.
“I don’t know. …… I had never thought about it. Even that story was written for Akane-chan.”
“If it’s Ayumu-kun, you can definitely become a professional novelist! You’re so cool, a professional novelist”
Even though I hadn’t been conscious of it since then, I had feelings similar to “love” toward Akane, and I reacted to those words.
I was saying my words in an almost desperate manner.
“I’ll become a professional novelist.”
When I said that, Akane’s face filled with cheerful flowers like sunflowers.
The name of that flower is called Smile.
“Really? That’s exciting!”
“Ou”
I have always loved this smile.
I feel like I can do anything to see this smile.
“I want to be an actress, so if Ayumu kun’s novel becomes a film and I’m in it, I’ll be happy.”
“Don’t worry, it will happen. I’ll make it happen!”
“Fufu yeah?
A wish for a future with even less solidarity than such a promise.
But it had become an unfulfilled dream in my hands.
“Ah.”
I happened to find a page from an online novel.
The moment I found it, I knew this was the only way.
I immediately started writing. When I woke up in the morning, I wrote until the very last minute before going to school, and even at school, I thought about the flow of the story during recess. When I came home, I played with Akane and then wrote until late at night.
I confidently posted the novel I had completed in this way on the internet.
I would show it to Akane only after it had become a book.
While I spent my days writing the novel with vague thoughts like that, one day it came to an abrupt end.
“Ah, I’ve received feedback! I did it!”
It was the first time I had received feedback.
I clicked on the red text, expecting to see a comment praising the work in any way.
However,
“To be frank, it’s boring. I can easily imagine the author confidently writing a boring piece of work. I’ve never seen such a bad piece of work. Please don’t post such a self-indulgent piece. Enjoy it on your own. I will never read it.”
It’s no wonder that this impression broke my heart as a fourth-grader.
I stopped writing novels.
I think it was around this time.
The reason Akane stopped saying she wanted to be an actress—
＊＊＊
“I wanted to write …… novels. I wanted to be a novelist.”
I found myself saying such things to Akane.
I probably said it unintentionally, remembering the past.
I really thought that it would be good if that dream-like longing came true.
“But my heart was broken. I’m so pathetic. So I ran away to study.”
“……”
I had decided never to speak weakly in front of Akane.
However, once I started to make weak noises, I couldn’t stop and I held my face with my hands.
“I know. I know why Akane stopped saying she wanted to be an actress at some point.”
I pretended not to notice, but I was somewhat aware of it.
Because Akane is – she’s kind.
“You cared about me, right? So that I, who have stopped writing novels, will not be left behind. Don’t let that desire leave you behind.”
Akane didn’t even nod at those words.
“Thank you. But it’s okay now. I don’t have to think that you’re leaving me behind. In the first place, from that day onwards, I – I wasn’t there.”
Saying that, I bit my lip.
I really didn’t want to say this.
Then, Akane gently wrapped her hand in mine and held it.
And sure enough, she said.
“Ayumu …… bakaaa!!”
To those words, I could only make a stupid face saying, ‘Heh?’