The Schoolโs Top Idol Is Acting Like Sheโs My Childhood Friend for Some Reason and Just Keeps Closing the Distance on Her Ownโฆ?! ~Stop Getting All Gloomy on Me Just Because I Turned You Down!~
On our way to Rinoโs house, we never let go of each otherโs hands.
For a while after leaving school, we kept a distance where our uniform sleeves would just brush against each other, since there were people around. But the moment we left the station and turned onto a quiet street, Rinoโs fingers brushed against mine as if searching for my hand.
When I squeezed her hand back, Rino smiled slightly without saying a word.
Itโs been like that ever since.
A boy and a girl, having finished preparing for the cultural festival, are walking home hand in hand along the night street.
And on top of that, weโre headed to the girlโs house.
The moment I calmly assessed the situation, my โteenage insecurityโ alarm started blaring.
Danger.
The romance comedy level has significantly exceeded the safe limit.
Please let go of her hand immediately and maintain a healthy distance.
But Rinoโs hand was warm.
The hand that waited for me today when I was too scared to be in the group photo.
The hand that held mine in the empty hallway when I didnโt run away.
I couldnโt bring myself to let go of it.
โSeita.โ
โWhat?โ
โWeโve been holding hands the whole time today, havenโt we?โ
โDonโt make me think about that right now.โ
โIโve been thinking about it the whole time.โ
โYou donโt have to say that.โ
โI like your hand, Seita.โ
โItโs kind of awkward to be praised just for my hand.โ
โI like everything about youโyour hand, your voice, your face, your personality, even your annoying habits.โ
โThat last part isnโt a compliment, is it?โ
โIโm saying I like you, so it is a compliment.โ
Rino is walking along, looking genuinely happy as she gently shakes my hand.
I looked straight ahead so she wouldnโt see my face.
โWhat about you, Seita?โ
โWhat do you mean?โ
โWhat do you like about me?โ
My heart skipped a beat.
I still havenโt explicitly told Rino that I like her.
Sheโs someone important to me.
Sheโs the closest to me.
Right now, Rino is the one in my heart.
The place I want to go back to is with Rino.
Even though Iโve said all that, I keep avoiding those two crucial words.
Even I have to admit Iโm being stubborn.
โThe premise of your question is wrong, isnโt it?โ
โDo you hate me?โ
โI donโt hate you.โ
โDo I matter to you?โ
โYou matter to me.โ
โAm I the one closest?โ
โโฆโฆClose.โ
โSo, do you like me?โ
โDonโt corner me like this, step by step.โ
Rino smiled contentedly.
โItโs okay to run away.โ
โIs that really okay?โ
โYeah. Just for today.โ
Those words struck me as odd, so I glanced over at her.
Rino was smiling.
But she was gripping my hand just a little tighter.
โIโll wait until Seita says it to me someday.โ
โโฆโฆI see.โ
โBut until then, Iโll stay by your side. Iโll be right near your escape route, too.โ
โYou canโt call that an escape route.โ
โIโll just block the path that leads to Seita being alone.โ
It was heavy, as expected.
Yet, part of me no longer feared that weight as much as I used to.
What lies behind Rinoโs words isnโt just a desire to control me.
Itโs her fear that Iโll suffer alone again and disappear without saying a word to anyone.
โThere are times when I want to be alone, you know.โ
โWhen that happens, Iโll wait a little ways off.โ
โYou wonโt come back?โ
โBecause I want to be the first to see Seita when he comes back.โ
Instead of answering, I squeezed our joined hands just a little tighter.
Rino didnโt say anything.
She just nuzzled her shoulder against mine.
ใโปใโปใโป
We passed through the entrance of the luxury high-rise apartment building and got into the elevator.
As the doors closed, the surroundings suddenly grew quiet.
A confined space.
Just the two of us.
On the mirrored wall, Rino and I, both in our school uniforms, were reflected side by side.
Our intertwined hands remained just as they were.
Rino was looking at me through the mirror.
โWhat?โ
โIt looks like we came home together.โ
โWell, we actually did come home together, didnโt we?โ
โThatโs not what I mean.โ
Rino rested her head slightly on my shoulder.
โIt looks like weโre going back to the same house.โ
Stop it.
Donโt make me imagine that in an elevatorโa space with no escape.
A future scenario I never asked for unfolds in my mind.
Meeting up with Rino after work and going back to the same house.
Eating dinner.
Playing card games.
Weโd exchange silly comments while watching the latest episode of I Donโt Need Youth!!.
That kind of life.
Impossible.
Iโm still a freshman in high school.
We donโt even have a name for our relationship yet.
And yet, strangely enough, I found myself imagining it.
โSeita, your face is red.โ
โItโs just hot in here.โ
โItโs cool in here.โ
โItโs hot to me.โ
โSo, if we get even closer, will you pass out?โ
โDonโt test me.โ
The moment I said that, Rino wrapped both her arms around my arm.
She wasnโt just leaning on my shoulderโshe was pressing her whole body against me.
The soft touch and sweet scent came rushing toward me all at once, and my heart declared a state of emergency.
โRino.โ
โWhat?โ
โYouโre too close.โ
โIf you fall over, Iโll catch you.โ
โYouโre the one causing this.โ
โIf you donโt like it, Iโll move away.โ
Even as she said that, Rino didnโt pull away.
I didnโt tell her to move away either.
We arrived at our floor, and the door opened.
Rino reluctantly unwrapped her arms from mine, but this time she immediately took my hand.
โWelcome, Seita.โ
โThanks for having me.โ
โYou can say โIโm homeโ if you want.โ
โThis isnโt my house, is it?โ
โIt might become the same someday.โ
โHow many years into the future are you thinking?โ
โWay into the future.โ
Rino answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world and unlocked the front door.
The interior of the room was just as tidy as when Iโd been there before.
The living room was so pristine it lacked any sense of daily life.
Hanging on the wall was a tapestry that read, โI Donโt Need Youth!!โ
On the shelf were manga and card game supplies.
That corner alone looked like a place where โjust Rinoโโnot Hoshimiya Rinoโlived.
โSeita, have a seat. Iโll go change.โ
โGot it.โ
Rino disappeared into the back of the room.
Left alone, I sat down on the sofa.
When I opened my phone, todayโs group photo had been posted in our class group chat.
My classmates were gathered around a sign.
Rino and I were in the center.
Rino wasnโt looking at the camera; she was glancing slightly in my direction.
I was standing next to her, smiling awkwardly.
But it wasnโt an unhappy expression.
Itโs different from our middle school group photos.
Back then, I hated photos that seemed to prove I was alone.
In todayโs photo, Rino is there.
Sheโs intertwined her little finger with mine.
It doesnโt show up on the screen.
But only the two of us know.
I had saved the photo without even realizing it.
โSeita saved it too.โ
A voice sounded right by my ear.
โWhoa!โ
Startled, I turned around to find Rino peering at the screen from behind the sofaโI hadnโt even noticed she was there.
Sheโd changed out of her school uniform into light-colored loungewear, and her long hair was down.
She looked much more vulnerable than she did at school.
โDonโt sneak up behind me like that.โ
โItโs because Seita was so absorbed in the photos.โ
โI was just checking them.โ
โYou saved them.โ
โThereโs no need to delete them, right?โ
โIโm happy.โ
Rino walked around the back of the sofa and sat down next to me.
Even though she was sitting next to me, there was plenty of room on the seat.
Yet she deliberately chose a spot where our shoulders would touch.
โLet me see.โ
โYou have the same photo, donโt you?โ
โI want to see the one on Seitaโs phone.โ
โIs there a difference?โ
โThe difference is that Seita saved it himself.โ
Rino pulled the phone toward her, along with my hand.
Her face came closer as she peered at the screen.
Close enough that our cheeks might touch.
I tried to pull back just a little.
But Rinoโs hand grabbed my arm.
โTrying to get away?โ
โYouโre just too close.โ
โYou hate it?โ
โโฆItโs not that I donโt like it, butโโ
The moment I said it, Rinoโs eyes flickered.
โThen, letโs just stay like this.โ
โWeโre just looking at the photos, okay?โ
โYeah.โ
As she replied, Rino leaned even closer into me.
Her head rested on my shoulder.
Her hair brushed against my neck.
It felt like Rino could hear my heartbeat.
โSeita.โ
โWhat?โ
โCan I crop todayโs photo so itโs just the two of us?โ
โYou already did that, didnโt you?โ
โOn your phone, too.โ
โWhy do you need mine as well?โ
โI want to have the same one.โ
Reluctantly, I opened the photo editing screen.
I adjusted the selection with two fingers, cropping the photo so that Rino and I remained in the center.
The cultural festival sign.
The same aprons.
Our shoulders pressed close together.
Depending on who was looking at it, it was a photo that could easily be misinterpreted.
โIs this okay?โ
โYeah.โ
โWhere are you going to save it?โ
โAs my wallpaper.โ
โThis is my phone, you know.โ
โI could just use it as my contact picture.โ
โI donโt want either of those.โ
โThen, as the background for our chat screen.โ
โAll of those options are scary.โ
โIโm most afraid of it getting deleted.โ
Only that last line was spoken in a quiet voice.
I looked at Rino.
She kept her gaze fixed on the photo, her lips pressed together ever so slightly.
โI wonโt delete it.โ
โReally?โ
โBecause today, Iโm glad I joined you, too.โ
Rino looked up.
She was close.
So close that the tips of our noses almost touched.
Our breaths mingled.
It felt as if time had stopped.
โSeita.โ
Rinoโs voice was much softer than usual.
โIf we were really that kind of relationshipโฆโ
โโฆโฆWhat do you mean, โthat kindโ?โ
โAre you going to make me say it?โ
Rinoโs eyes reflected only me.
I could run away if I wanted to.
She wasnโt holding me down.
Her hand was on my arm, but she wasnโt using any force.
Even so, I couldnโt move.
Rinoโs face drew closer, little by little.
I could see every single one of her eyelashes.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.
โSeita, do you mind?โ
Rino stopped just before our lips touched.
She was waiting for my answer.
The Rino of the past might have closed the distance on impulse.
But now, she was waiting.
For me to choose.
โโฆโฆI donโt mind.โ
A hoarse voice escaped my throat.
Rinoโs eyes widened in uncertainty.
I didnโt even know what Iโd just allowed myself to do.
I just didnโt want to stop her from getting closer.
โThenโโ
Rino leaned in just a little closer.
At that moment.
Rinoโs phone, sitting on the table, vibrated loudly.
We pulled away from each other at the same time.
Rino looked at her phone, her face flushed bright red.
The screen showed an incoming call from her manager.
โโฆMaybe you should answer it.โ
โI donโt want to.โ
โIt might be work.โ
โThis moment is more important.โ
โRino.โ
โIf only it had been ten seconds later.โ
Rino pouted, looking genuinely frustrated.
I covered my face with one hand.
That was close.
What was so close?
No, I didnโt even have to think about it.
If the call had come just a few seconds laterโฆ
I would have been with Rinoโ
โSeita.โ
โAnswer the phone.โ
โCan we continue?โ
โDonโt ask me that now!โ
โLater?โ
โI said donโt ask!โ
Rino answered the call with a look of dissatisfaction.
Her voice shifted to her calm, professional tone.
Standing beside her, I desperately tried to calm my heart, which was still racing.
As I tried to look away, my eyes fell on the smartphone screen.
A cropped photo of Rino and me.
We were standing shoulder to shoulder, wearing matching aprons, smiling gently.
The meaning of that photo seemed different now than it had just a moment ago.
I hadnโt said I didnโt like it.
The idea of almost touching Rino.
Far from refusing, I hadnโt looked away even for a second.
I was reaching my limitโI could no longer pretend not to realize what that meant.
โSeita.โ
Rino, having ended her call, grabbed my sleeve.
โA photo shoot came up suddenly for tomorrow.โ
โI see.โ
โI canโt go home with you.โ
โIf itโs work, thereโs nothing we can do about it.โ
โThatโs why I want to stay a little closer to you right now.โ
Rino leaned her shoulder against mine again.
This time, she didnโt get quite as close as before.
She just rested her head on my shoulder.
After a momentโs hesitation, I placed my hand on Rinoโs hair.
I stroked it gently.
Rinoโs body trembled slightly.
โSeita?โ
โYouโre tired, arenโt you?โ
โYeah.โ
โGet some rest. Iโll stay here until you wake up.โ
โDonโt use formal language.โ
โIs that what youโre worried about?โ
โYouโre stroking my head.โ
โIโll stop if you donโt like it.โ
โDonโt stop.โ
Rino gripped the hem of my uniform and closed her eyes.
โWe donโt have to continue what we were doing earlierโthis is enough for now.โ
โโฆโฆI see.โ
โBut please do it sometime.โ
โDonโt make a reservation.โ
โYou donโt mind, do you?โ
I didnโt answer.
I couldnโt answer.
Instead, I ran my fingers through Rinoโs hair once more.
Rino didnโt seem to take my silence as a rejection.
As if relieved, she relaxed her body.
โSeita.โ
โWhat?โ
โWhat if I told you not to go home today?โ
โIโm going home.โ
โThat was a quick answer.โ
โBut Iโll stay until you fall asleep.โ
Rino opened her eyes.
She stared at me, looking surprised.
โReally?โ
โIf you had to work late, you must be tired. Iโll keep you company for a little while.โ
โSeita.โ
โWhat?โ
โI love you.โ
โI know.โ
In the past, I wouldnโt have known how to respond and would have stayed silent.
But now, the words came out naturally.
Rino laughed, almost as if she were about to cry, and rested her forehead against my chest.
โYou know, and yet youโre still here with me.โ
โโฆโฆYeah.โ
โIโm counting on that.โ
I didnโt answer right away.
I was afraid of raising her hopes.
I was afraid of both accepting someoneโs affection and admitting my own.
But right now, Rino was in my arms.
I didnโt think about running away.
โYou can count on it.โ
I replied in a soft voice.
Rino looked up.
Our gazes met again at close range.
This time, Rino didnโt move closer.
She just looked at me, as if waiting.
I started to reach out toward her cheek.
But just before I touched her, I stopped my fingers.
Iโm still scared.
Even so, I didnโt pull my hand back.
With my fingertips, I tucked Rinoโs hairโwhich wasnโt even dampโbehind her ear.
โThatโs enough for today.โ
When I said that, Rino smiled, looking a little disappointed.
โYeah. Just for today.โ
The distance between us had widened just a tiny bit from a moment ago.
Still, our shoulders touched, and Rinoโs hand lay on top of mine.
Instead of lips that hadnโt touched, our fingers intertwined.
Twenty days left until the cultural festival.
Our relationship still didnโt have a name.
But the boundary between us had grown so thin that it felt like it would crumble at the slightest touch..
Maigetsu