V4Ch20: Red and Colorless Best Friends

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Translator: Soafp

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“…So it’s finally tomorrow.”

How many times had I muttered those same words today alone?

Yes—tomorrow is the day I'll be having a talk with Yuuhi Akazawa.

Since that unexpected reunion, I haven't exchanged a single real conversation with her. We're classmates, so we greet each other in the morning and at the end of the day, but that's about it.

Ever since we met again, I've been watching her more consciously—and she really lives up to her nickname as the school idol. A flawless and invincible idol, through and through.

Just walking down the hallway, she brings smiles to people's faces and gets greeted from all sides. She's popular with both guys and girls, and she's highly trusted by the teachers. She's always surrounded by people, and during break time, it almost looks like she's holding an idol handshake event.

Maybe it's because we used to be so close, or maybe because she was my first love—whatever the reason, I haven't been able to keep calm. Just thinking about what we'll talk about makes my chest sting. It's a feeling I didn't have even with Kuromine in a similar situation.

“You've been saying the same thing over and over.”

“Can you blame me?”

“Well, it's not like anyone can guess what that idiot Yuuhi is thinking. Honestly, I've got no clue what she wants to talk about. From what you said, she tried to apologize—but who knows if she was serious.”

That comment, made with a serious expression, came from my best friend, Renji.

It was now Friday after school, and we were in our classroom.

Renji had shown up unannounced after classes ended, obviously to talk about the upcoming meeting with Akazawa.

“Going alone seems risky. Want me to come with you?”

“Nah, I'll go by myself.”

“You sure? The meeting's at her house, right?”

“Momoka will be there too, apparently. So I won't be totally alone. Besides, if you're there, things might not even turn into a proper conversation.”

Renji hates Akazawa. If things got heated, the whole point of the talk would be lost.

“…Alright. If that's what you want, I'll trust you.”

“I doubt anything'll happen inside her house.”

“Let's hope.”

“Don't make me more nervous than I already am.”

We both smiled wryly, probably because we each still felt some lingering unease despite trying to believe everything would be fine.

“You've really been through a lot, huh? All while I had no idea.”

That “a lot” obviously referred to the situation with the Akazawa sisters. I hadn't said much, but apparently Momoka had told him.

“Yeah, it's been a lot.”

“Well, I've been through some stuff too.”

“Like what?”

“Momoka chewed me out big time.”

“…Yeah, figures.”

Renji looked completely deflated as he remembered it.

“She really let me have it for keeping quiet about your return. First time in my life I've ever been yelled at that badly by a girl. I ended up hanging up on her mid-call.”

“My condolences.”

Can't blame Momoka for getting mad.

That said, I also kind of understood where Renji was coming from—he just wanted her to grow stronger. Personally, I also agreed with Momoka, though. So it was hard to pick a side.

“But she forgave you in the end, right?”

“She seemed to get that I didn't mean any harm. I mean, I don't want my adorable little sister-figure to hate me, so I just apologized sincerely.”

“That's good to hear.”

“Not good at all. I got yelled at.”

Despite his words, Renji looked pretty pleased.

“Well, thanks to that, we can hang out again without things being awkward. I'm kinda glad it worked out.”

I nodded.

I'd been avoiding open conversations at school out of fear of the Akazawa sisters finding out, but now I didn't have to worry.

We'd told our old classmates—Nekota and Mahiro—that we got closer during the sports festival, so there was no more need to sneak around.

“But I gotta say, I was surprised by how forward Momoka was. I always knew she had heavy feelings for you, but confessing right after you reunited?”

“I was shocked too.”

I hadn't even realized Momoka had feelings for me to begin with.

“…Hey, Renji. Are you really okay with this?”

“With what?”

“You wanted to make Momoka a goddess, right? If I accept her confession, she definitely won't become one.”

Renji looked thoughtful, then shook his head.

“Things have changed. Back then, I had no plans to give up my spot as a male god. And I didn't know you'd be coming back. At that time, I just wanted to bring down the current Four-Color Goddesses and make someone else the goddess. Momoka wanted to become a goddess to welcome you back. I wanted to remove the current one. Our interests aligned. But now? I've stepped down, and you're back—so there's no issue.”

Things really had changed a lot since then.

“I see…”

“So yeah, go ahead and date Momoka if you want. No problem.”

“Hmm…”

“But fair warning—I didn't know it either, but Momoka is terrifying when she's angry. And she's clingy too. Want me to tell you in detail how scary she was when she chewed me out?”

Then Renji went on and on about how terrifying Momoka had been when she got angry.

Somehow, I ended up being scolded too for not telling him sooner that I had returned. I accepted it, though. I really did feel bad about that.

After venting to his heart's content, Renji went off to the bathroom.

About ten seconds later, the classroom door opened. I thought it was him again, surprised at how fast he came back—but it was someone else entirely.

“…Nijitani?”

“Nekoda?”

It was Nekoda, a classmate and Yuuhi Akazawa's close friend.

“What are you doing here?”

“I forgot something. Realized it halfway home and came back.”

She approached and grabbed something from her desk.

“What about you, Nijitani?”

“Uh, just talking with a friend.”

“A friend—”

Just then, the classroom door opened again.

“Yo, I'm back.”

Renji returned.

“Eh?”

“Oh, Hazuki Nekoda! Haven't seen you in a while.”

“Renji-kun!?”

I'd forgotten.

Come to think of it, there was some kind of falling-out between Nekota and Renji while I was away. I'd completely forgotten to ask about it.

“Hiii, it’s been a while.”

“Since we were in different classes after entering high school, we didn't get many chances to talk.”

“…Um, there's something I've been wanting to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Are you really going to drop out of the Tenka Contest?”

“Yeah. I don't need the title of ‘male god.’ Attending all those meetings was a pain anyway.”

“I see… That's a shame. I was planning to vote for you, Renji-kun.”

—I was worried how it might go, but the two of them started talking like normal. From the look of it, there doesn't seem to be any lingering tension. Actually, it doesn't even seem like this is their first time speaking since entering high school.

…What's going on?

“…”

Well, whatever.

I thought about it for a few seconds, then decided to drop it. Overthinking it won't help, and I can just ask Renji later. At the very least, things seem okay on the surface, so there's no need to say something that might stir up trouble.

“Come to think of it, Nekoda and Shota are in the same class, right?”

He brought the conversation back to me, so I nodded.

“Yeah. We even sit next to each other.”

“That sounds almost like fate.”

As we chatted, Nekoda seemed to realize something.

“…Shota? Oh right, you mentioned that before. That you two had gotten close.”

She was referring to the time she saw me and Renji together. I'm glad I used the excuse that we'd become friends.

Then the three of us continued chatting together.

It was just small talk—what we've been up to lately, things like that. Nothing serious.

“By the way, why are you still in the classroom at this hour?”

Renji asked a question that honestly should've come earlier.

“I forgot something, so I came back to get it.”

“Clumsy, aren't you? Forgetting things all the time—just like Shota.”

“That's not true. I rarely forget stuff.”

“Now, maybe. But back in elementary school, you were always forgetting things.”

“Ugh.”

At Renji's comment, Nekoda flinched.

What's wrong?

Did Renji say something strange—wait, did he just say “elementary school”?

Just as I was about to intervene, Renji went on smugly.

“Don't try to pretend you forgot. You used to forget everything—worksheets, shoes. The worst was when you forgot your entire backpack. I still laugh thinking about how someone could forget a school essential like that.”

“Hey! I told you not to bring up the past!”

“Ah—”

I hissed a warning in a low voice, and Renji's face froze as he realized what he'd just done.

“Wait… elementary school memories?”

Nekoda blinked. Then she stared at me as if something had just clicked.

“Elementary school… and your name is ‘Shota’… No way, you're not… right?”

She swallowed hard.

Can I still talk my way out of this?

…Nope. Not a chance.

I had wanted to maintain this new relationship just as it was, but now that it had come to this, I had no choice. Besides, I had been meaning to thank Nekoda—my benefactor—for a long time.

…Actually, maybe this was the perfect opportunity. I should offer my apology and my thanks. Say I'm sorry for keeping quiet all this time. And tell her how much it meant to me when she helped me back then. Honestly, I'd always had a part of me that wanted to come clean with her.

I made up my mind.

“…Sorry for not saying anything until now.”

“Eh?”

“There was a guy named Shota Mukawa who went to Tobu Middle School, right? That was my name back then. After my mom remarried, my last name changed. That's when I moved back here.”

Nekoda froze for a moment.

Finding out that a new transfer student in high school was actually your old classmate from middle school—it's only natural to be shocked. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably be just as stunned.

Aoyama and Kuromine had already figured it out, but it seemed Nekoda truly hadn't. At least my efforts hadn't been completely in vain.

“Wha—whaaa—whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?”

Looks like she did remember me after all.

“Yeah, it's a surprise, huh.”

“…Are you really serious?”

I gave her a firm nod.

“Nekoda, thank you so much for back the—”

“I'm so sorry for what I did back then!”

With tears almost in her eyes, Nekoda bowed her head deeply. Even though she was supposed to be the one I owed a debt to, she apologized to me with all her might before I could even finish.

Wait—what?

Why is she the one apologizing?