V2Ch9: Blue overcast

Translator: Soafp

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　I turned away at the sight of the girls, who looked familiar.

This was the first time I had come into contact with middle school classmates who did not attend Tenkain.

　Since there had been no sign of detection up to now, I was high on the idea that it would be all right. The appearance of a familiar face made me feel as if I had been doused with cold water.

I reflected on this point, but I have no regrets. Because I was now incredibly excited about GPEX. Because I would be able to compete with professionals and popular distributors, of course I would be looking forward to it.

“It’s been a long time, Umi.”

　One of the girls spoke to Aoyama. I remembered the girl well. She was the girl who often worked with Aoyama.

“…… yeah. It’s been a while.”

Aoyama looks a bit depressed.

I turned my head to the fullest as I watched Aoyama.

　For now, just think about getting through this. The only thing to do is to treat them as if you were meeting them for the first time. I’ve seen their faces before, but I don’t really know their names, so it’s no different from meeting them for the first time.

“You’re looking well too, Nazuka-kun.”

“It’s been a long time. I’m still the same.”

“Uhm, ……,who is that person?”

　The girl looks at me.

“His name is Nijitani. He’s a friend of mine from school.”

　For some reason, Aoyama introduces me.

Or rather, don’t make me your friend without my permission.

　But if I deny it here, she will ask me why we are having dinner together. I can’t give off a shadowy impression so that they won’t realize I’m that Mukawa-kun. I try to smile as freshly as possible.

“Hi, I’m Nijitani. I’m a sophomore at Tenkain, the same as Aoyama and Mahiro. Nice to meet you.”

　I raise one hand.

“I’m Suzuki. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, refreshing. I’m Sato. Nice to meet you.”

　There is no sign of being discovered.

　I felt ridiculously nervous. Immediately after exchanging greetings, I was out of the girls’ line of sight.

“…… Umi, I guess you don’t do track and field anymore.”

“I told you before. I’m not doing it anymore.”

“Are you still dragging that thing out?”

“……”

　What is that air.

Aoyama quit track and field simply because she was injured, right? Aoyama seems to be healed now, but I guess she stopped doing track and field because she was feeling down or something. She told me herself while doing GPEX before.

“Uhm, I’m sorry to interrupt you. Can I borrow Umi for a minute?”

Suzuki-san asked to borrow Aoyama.

When Mahiro and I agreed, the two of them invited Aoyama to sit with them. Their seats were right behind me. We had already finished our meal and most of the strategy meeting was over, so there was no problem.

　I heard a gorgeous voice from behind me. Apparently, they hadn’t seen each other in a while and were talking about their life at school.

　…… Is it my imagination?

　I thought the atmosphere was strange earlier, but apparently my fears were unfounded.

“They were in the same junior high school. Aoyama-san and the girls were on the track team together.”

“Heh.”

　Mahiro explains. After graduation, the girls entered another high school, where they continued to run track.

　And since Aoyama quit the club, the relationship had become estranged.

　It doesn’t matter what I hear. It has nothing to do with me. I have never even talked to them.

　I didn’t pay any attention to it and reconfirmed how I would move in the tournament.

　A little time passed, and there were few words between us.

“—–About Mukawa-kun.”

　My heart jumped.

　I had not heard the conversation, so I was terribly surprised when my name was suddenly mentioned. I did not look back, but listened carefully to the conversation behind me.

“T-the story is—–“

“Have you seen him since then?”

“…… not yet.”

“I see.”

Suzuki-san seems to know about both of us.

　I wondered why, as my mind flashed back to the memory of that day, and I remembered that she was the girl who had asked me when I was out of school. I didn’t meet her then, so I didn’t know her purpose.

　Oi oi, come on, don’t talk bad about me here.

　I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t stand it when people say bad things about me right before a competition. It could completely ruin our cooperation.

“…… Shota, you look pale, are you okay?”

“…..”

　Mahiro peeked at me with concern.

“I’m totally fine. I think I ate a little too much.”

“You looked like you had a great meal.”

“It was excellent. Right, let’s order some dessert.”

“…… aren’t you full?”

“Dessert is not a part of your stomach.”

“You sound like a girl. But I wanted a parfait too.”

After ordering dessert, the waiting time again focuses my attention on the conversation behind me.

　Before I knew it, the conversation had skipped a bit.

It seems that not only Suzuki-san but also Sato-san knows about the relationship with me. The conversation turned to what kind of life I was leading now that I had moved to a new school.

“You always say that, Umi-chan. You always said Mukawa is a good guy.”

“…… yeah.”

“If he’s such a good guy, he’s doing well over there. Made a lot of friends, had a girlfriend, and so on. I don’t think you need to worry about it too much. It was a long time ago. He might have forgotten about you.”

　That’s easy for you to say.

Sato-san, of course, does not know the whole situation. To begin with, Aoyama does not know either. Aoyama doesn’t know about the relationship between me and the Four Colored Goddesses. Only my mother and my best friend, Renji Inuyama, know about what was done to me in the past.

However, Sato-san’s words are half correct. Unfortunately, I don’t have a girlfriend, but I’m doing fine. I’ve made a lot of friends.

“Besides, you apologized to him, didn’t you, Umi?”

“……. I typed a message. Perhaps he’s seen it.”

“If it were me, I’d have apologized.”

Here’s the point I mustn’t forget.

　Aoyama is apologizing for what she did to me.

Aoyama was the only one who was willing to apologize to me, albeit over the chat. Apologizing for her own bad behavior, she said a series of words of apology.

I still didn’t trust Aoyama at that time, but at least I understood that she is not a bad girl now. We played a lot of games over the course of the semester and I understand that.

“It wasn’t your fault when you ignored him in the first place, Umi. At that time, the atmosphere was completely Mukawa’s fault, and if you had helped him out badly, even Umi would have become a bad girl. Ignoring him was the right thing to do. And Mukawa agreed with that, didn’t he?”

“…… yeah.”

　That’s right. I didn’t want to talk at school.

“The last time you pushed him down was simply because you were feeling ill and just happened to be in contact with Mukawa when he was on the verge of losing consciousness. And Umi-chan didn’t even realize that you pushed Mukawa down.”

Eh, ill?

　I didn’t know. Wasn’t that to attack me?

“He’s a good guy. He didn’t want to turn me into a criminal. After what I did to him. I’m really the worst”

　Hm?

　I’m not protecting you. I just kept quiet because no one would believe me anyway. Aoyama took it that way, huh?

But I didn’t know about Aoyama’s situation until I came here.

“It’s all right. If Mukawa is really a good guy, he’ll forgive you.”

“……”

” For your information, by being a good woman, my boyfriend cheated on me, but I forgave him. Then he said to me, ‘You are really a good woman,’ and half cried and hugged me. Men are such easy creatures.”

　I think that’s a mistake for a woman of convenience.

　…… but I see what you mean.

　I’ve learned the truth.

　That doesn’t mean I’m going to reveal my true identity, but I guess the reflection is true around the fact that you’re talking about this when you don’t realize my true identity is Shota Mukawa.

“You know, the worst person in that matter is the one who spread the rumor about Shota Mukawa.”

Suzuki concurred with Sato’s statement.

“That’s right. It’s true that Umi was stupid for coming to school in such a physical condition, but the person who spread those rumors is the worst of all.”

　I agree.

　The source of all this was that former childhood friend of mine who tried to bring me down. If only she hadn’t accused me of stalking her, problems could have been avoided.

“I wonder who started that rumor?”

“Who knows. Yuuhi-chan was the one who cleared up the misunderstanding, and I don’t know if that is true. But if someone didn’t say anything, it wouldn’t become a rumor, would it?”

　I think that’s a mistake for a woman of convenience.

　That’s when it happened.

　A spoon rolled on the ground.

　…… Nekoda?

　It was Nekoda who dropped it. It seems she dropped the parfait while trying to bring it to us. A clumsy fellow.

“Look, you dropped it.”

I picked up the dropped spoon and handed it to Nekoda.

“Oh, thanks. I’ll get you a new one right away.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I wonder if Nekoda was listening to what they were saying. I guess she was heartbroken by her own best friend’s past deeds after hearing what they just said.

“Hey, is that Nekoda-san now?”

“Right, it looks like she is working part-time here.”

　With the arrival of Nekoda, the topic of Mukawa-kun disappeared completely.

　Aoyama returned a short time later. We greeted Suzuki-san and Sato-san, left the restaurant, and then split up.

　I felt a little better now that I know the truth.

　It’s too late to change the past, but at least I feel somewhat better knowing that she didn’t push me down because she hated me.

…… The contrary, Aoyama’s expression was cloudy until the end.

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