Chapter 18 | His Friend

“You know, you’re pretty sharp.”

“I heard it from someone else. Why did you break up?”

“…I guess we had a little bit of a clash… Well… I don’t have to answer that question.”

The two of us walked through the station ticket gates side by side.

As it was late in the evening, we could see a few students who had just finished their club activities.

As we continued our conversation, I noticed Yasuharu pointing his thumb at the station bench next to me.

Apparently, he was telling me to sit down and talk.

With a sigh, I sat down on the long bench. My legs were sore from today’s workout, so the break here was very helpful.

“Well. If you don’t want to say it, that’s okay. You don’t have to.”

“Oh, no, well, that’s…”

“What’s that? It’s weird and creepy.”

I had talked to Yasuharu several times about my love life, so I felt obligated to talk to him about it. And what he said just now was very important to me. I had too much in mind…

“And you know what, Ikki? Before you started going out with her, you consulted me a lot, and when you first started going out with her, you talked about your love life with her for a long time. Then, as time went by after you started going out with me, you gradually stopped talking to me. I was worried that something was wrong, but then I heard that you guys had broken up. As your best friend, I have to listen to you.”

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s just that I find your reactions amusing or not, but I don’t feel like talking anymore.”

Yasuharu apologizes to me, but I can’t see any sign of remorse in his voice. He is usually like this, so I don’t think it’s a new thing.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. How are things going with Hayami-san?”

“I broke up with her once. I wonder if it’s a difference of opinion or just a misunderstanding. Yasuharu said earlier that there was a time when I stopped talking about Rinka completely, right? That’s when our relationship started to drift apart.”

Yasuharu is very serious when he hears this kind of story. He listens with his eyes fixed on the person he is talking to. The easygoing attitude that he had displayed earlier had disappeared.

“The reason why we started to drift apart is because of each other. It was both our fault. That’s why I broke up with Rinka once.”

“Huh? You?”

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“Because you love Hayami-san, don’t you?”

“It would take too long to talk about it… I’m so embarrassed about it, I feel like I want to die.”

“Just tell me. How many years do you think we’ve known each other? I know your more embarrassing stories.”

For the next hour or so, I explained the details to Yasuharu. I was repeatedly prodded and laughed at. When we started talking, the sun had not yet completely set and it was still a little dim, but soon it was already dark. I had already missed several trains since we started talking. The evening rush to go home had passed, and businessmen in suits became conspicuous in the station, where there were many students.

“After all, you and Hayami-san are a perfect match.”

Yasuharu stood up from the bench. I naturally followed his lead and sat up. As he looked up at the night sky, he was thinking about the full moon today, when Yasuharu suddenly said something like that. I felt that I had already finished talking with Rinka about the possibility of a meeting, so I was a little caught off-guard.

“Why do you think that?”

“Ikki and Hayami-san are very similar.”

“Me and Rinka? Is that so?”

“Yeah, very similar. I’ve been with you since we were kids.”

“Rinka and I have been together since high school.”

“Well, yes, that’s true. As far as your story and Ranko-san’s story.”

“I would like to ask Ranko-san, but is it okay if I do so?”

Oh, he didn’t go through with it. I would have thought that a man should just confess his feelings up front, but it seems that for him, this subject is taboo.

“People around here say that you and Hayami are not a good match, but I don’t think so.”

“Oh, really?”

“They call her ‘Takamine no Hana,’ but in front of you, Hayami-san is just another girl in love.”

“Oh, I know that. I won’t let anyone take her away from me.”

“No, well, rather, I don’t think anyone would try to break in on you guys these days.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because you’re flirting with her.”

The words echoed deep in my chest as if I had been struck to the core. I could not immediately refute this. I only had an idea. I was so happy to see him smiling at me, but I was afraid that he was going to get hurt.

“I know why you are worried about Hayami-san since she is so popular. But you, too, take Hayami-san’s feelings into account and be careful, okay?”

Yasuharu said this to me, probably because I told him what had happened recently. He is usually a lazy guy, but he is a guy who can take care of himself. He is usually a droll guy, but he’s a very caring guy.

“Oh, you should get a girlfriend soon, too,” 

He turns away and says it’s none of my business. It seems that this is something he is concerned about.

“By the way, Ikki…”

“What’s up?”

“It’s a full moon today.”

“I thought so too.”

“Isn’t the moon beautiful?”

“Hmm? Yes, it is.”

“Shouldn’t you call Hayami-san?”

“What kind of idiot do you think I am?”

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