The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
Walking to school with Kanade, who was in such high spirits, reminded me of our days back in the lower grades of elementary schoolโbefore she was forced to spend time in the hospital due to her illnessโand it was a lot of fun.
ใ
โWhen we walk to school together like this, do we look like a couple to people watching us?โ
Still, I was feeling a little fed up with Kanadeโs sillyโฆ typical high school girlโs romantic musings.
โOf course not.โ
โEh? How can you be so sure?โ
โโฆBecause if people compare our appearances, hardly anyone would think weโre a couple.โ
Humans are creatures that tend to find partners who are on their level.
A flawed guy like me isnโt a good match for a perfect person like Kanade.
โThatโs not true. A-kun is really wonderful.โ
Apparently, Kanade wasnโt convinced by my argument.
โโฆโฆItโs a concept from psychology, but apparently thereโs something called the mere-exposure effect.โ
For the time being, I decided to show off the knowledge I had.
โWhat that effect is, is a phenomenon where repeated contact with a specific personโin other words, repeatedly meeting and talking with themโcauses your favorability toward them to increase, and even their appearance starts to look better to you.โ
โโฆโฆAnd so?โ
โThe reason youโve come to overestimate me is precisely because of that phenomenon.โ
โHmm.โ
Kanade didnโt seem very interested.
โAkkun. Iโm just guessing, but I think youโre wrong.โ
No, it seems she was interested after all. It just looks like she still didnโt agree with my theory.
โโฆโฆWhy?โ
โBecause we havenโt been seeing each other regularly, have we?โ
โฆโฆTrue.
โItโs our first reunion in years. Itโs fateful.โ
Iโm not really sure why she used that inverted sentence structure.
โWell, anyway, Akkun, youโre a really wonderful guy, right?โ
โYeah, yeah.โ
โโฆโฆNo, but I donโt think I want everyone to notice that.โ
โWhy?โ
โโฆโฆHehe. Why do you think?โ
I donโt know.
While we were having that conversation, we arrived at school.
โโฆโฆUmโฆโ
โThe shoe lockers are this way.โ
Kanade, who had only been inside the school building once before, seemed to have lost her bearings.
I decided to lead the way to the classroom, serving as her guide.
โThanks.โ
โItโs the only thing I can do.โ
โThatโs not true. Youโre always helping me out.โ
โฆThatโs not true.
In the hallway, Kanade and I walked side by side, matching our steps.
Every now and then, Kanadeโs gaze from beside me would pierce my cheek. It didnโt feel unpleasant. I did feel a little embarrassed, though.
โฆโฆI kind of wanted to get to the classroom quickly, but then again, maybe not.
โGood morning!โ
Neither too fast nor too slow, at our usual pace, we arrived at the classroom.
Hearing Kanadeโs cheerful voiceโฆ
โAhโฆโ
Our classmates fixed their intense stares on us as we stood frozen in front of the classroom door.
โโฆSee? Itโs surprising, isnโt it?โ
โReally, reallyโฆโ
Even though Kanade had gone out of her way to greet them enthusiastically to try to fit in with the class.
The classmates didnโt respond; they were engrossed in whispering among themselves.
โฆโฆItโs obvious now, but those intense stares from our classmates were nothing but looks of curiosity.
And the targets of that curiosity were, without a doubt, the two of us.
โฆWhat an unpleasant atmosphere.
Itโs bad enough just being put in the spotlight, but to be the subject of gossip makes it feel even worse.
โโฆโฆGood morning, Ichinose-san.โ
One of the girls who had been engrossed in the gossipโKadowara-sanโcame up to us, still fixing her curious gaze on us.
The look of curiosity she was giving usโฆ seemed to hint at a hint of mockery.
โHey, are you two dating?โ
โฆI couldnโt help but recall the conversation Iโd had with Kanade on the way to school.
Apparently, just as Kanade had said, from an outsiderโs perspective, weโฆ must have looked like a couple.
โฆโฆShould I immediately deny it out loud?
If a weird rumor spread that she was dating someone like me, it could affect Kanadeโs future school life.
But then again, she was the one who was askedโฆ If Kanade doesnโt answer herself, the feisty-looking Kadokura might take her anger out on someone else.
โฆโฆI glanced briefly at Kanade to see how she was doing.
โโฆโฆUgh.โ
I let out a strange sound and was startled.
Kanade was smiling.
It was obvious that the other person was trying to mock us, and even though I, standing right next to her, was flusteredโฆ she was smiling as if she didnโt care about any of it.
โโฆโฆW-what do you think?โ
The pressure emanating from that smile was intense, and Kadokura-san had taken a step back.
Kanade had been smiling the whole time and hadnโt answered Kadokura-sanโs questionโฆ but then.
โHmmโฆโ
It seemed sheโd finally decided to speak up.
โWhich do you think?โ
โHuh?โ
โDo we look like weโre dating?โ
โฆAn unexpected counter-question.
Kadokura-san was taken aback.
โโฆI donโt think youโre dating.โ
After a moment, Kadokura-san replied.
โYou two arenโt a good match at all.โ
Hearing that answer, I thought.
Then why did you ask if we were dating?
That question only makes sense if you feel, even just a little, that we are datingโฆ If that werenโt the case, the only normal reaction would be to think, โWhat a mean person.โ
In other words, havenโt you just ended up exposing your own pettiness?
โฆWell, I wonโt nitpick too much about it.
Actually, we arenโt dating.
And thanks to her making a fool of herself, Kanadeโs honor has been preserved.
โฆIโm sure Kanade must have wanted this to happen, too.
Thinking that, I gave Kanade another lookโฆ
โโฆI see.โ
โฆWatching Kanade glare at Kadokura-san with those cold eyes, a cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Maiasa