V2 Interlude 1 | Since When [Kozue's Point of View]

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When did I start liking Mishima-kun?

We were in the same class from the first grade to the third grade, but to be honest, he was not my type of boy. If it had been just me, I would never have talked to him.

The reason I started talking to Mishima-kun was that Kanade, my best friend, and Yamagishi-kun, her childhood friend, were very good friends. Mishima-kun was very close to Yamagishi-kun.

In our third year of high school, there was a slight change in our relationship.

Kanade-chan spent more time with Yamagishi-kun than before.

I don’t know too many details, and I haven’t heard directly from him, but it seems that Yamagishi-kun and Sakashita-san have parted ways. Because even though they were in the same class, neither of them talked at all so everyone except those who are not interested in relationships guessed it.

I originally thought Kanade-chan liked Yamagishi-kun, so I said to myself, “Kanade-chan, here’s your chance!” in my mind, and I struck a gut punch in my heart.

It was before the final exam that the four of us became closer than before. When I saw Mishima-kun begging Yamagishi-kun to help him study for the final exam because he was not confident about it, I suggested a study session among the four of us.

Teaching others helped me to deepen my understanding of the subject matter, and it turned out to be a more meaningful time for me than I had expected since Yamagishi-kun was able to teach me the subjects I had been having difficulty with. Since then, the four of us have been getting together frequently for study sessions.

I noticed that Mishima-kun, who had always been a bit of a mascot, had a side face that showed tremendous concentration as he worked on his studies, and I fell in love with him for a short while. Mishima-kun noticed me, but I think I was acting suspiciously at the time, even looking back on it now.

“Hmm? Do I have something on my face?”

“Eh, you don’t have anything on your face. Don’t worry! You have a beautiful face.”

“Beautiful… face?”

‘No, no, no! It’s not like that, it’s different”

Mishima-kun had no idea what I was talking about and kept looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“Mouuu! Never mind. You have to study properly! Mishima-kun, can you solve this problem?”

I was forcibly telling Mishima-kun to solve this problem with a face so red that even I could tell. I noticed Kanade-chan and Yamagishi-kun smiling at me, and I was even more embarrassed and couldn’t look up for the time being.

———

I became seriously aware of Mishima-kun when Kanade-chan said, “It would be great if the four of us, who were in the same class all through high school, went to college together.” I imagined Mishima-kun and me attending the same university and walking around campus together.

It was a future that looked much more attractive and fun than the college life I had always envisioned.

(Oh, I like Mishima-kun…)

After I realized that, every time I saw Mishima-kun, my heart would pound and I would soar with joy just by talking to him.

However, I was afraid that he would not like a gloomy person like me, who spends her days off alone reading novels, because I was not suitable for him. I was also afraid that I would confess my feelings to him even though I knew the answer was that I would be rejected, and that would destroy the relationship between the four of us.

———

Speaking of which, I went out with everyone once during summer vacation.

We went to the pool, but I was very embarrassed to show my swimsuit, and when I was fidgeting, Mishima-kun said I was cute, which made me really happy. I was so excited that I might have smiled sincerely for the first time in a really long time.

Then summer vacation ended, the second semester started, and a little later the last cultural festival of high school began.

Our class decided to have a Halloween costume cafe.

Everyone in our class dressed up, but when I saw Mishima-kun as a werewolf, I was so excited that I jumped up and down in my heart and hugged Kanade-chan, saying “Wow, he’s too cute!”

Kanade-chan didn’t say anything, but I think it was probably obvious that she knew I liked Mishima-kun. That’s how happy and sad I was about Mishima-kun.

Both days of the festival ended without any significant disruption, but I was feeling a little nervous as I thought that I was about to start the final preparations for the entrance examinations. However, since there were the usual members who were aiming for the same goal, my enthusiasm was totally different compared to when I was preparing for the high school entrance examination.

After the festival was over and only a simple cleanup was done, everyone headed to the schoolyard for campfire purposes. That was no exception for me and Kanade-chan. Come to think of it, I couldn’t see Mishima-kun and Yamagishi-kun from the middle of the day, where did they go? To tell you the truth, I would have liked to see the campfire with Mishima-kun, too.

When we went out to the schoolyard, the countdown chorus had begun. I could feel everyone’s tension gradually rising.

And when the campfire was lit, everyone’s excitement was at its peak. I’ve never been the type to make noise in a crowd, so I couldn’t get as excited as everyone else, but I could still feel my spirits lifted. I looked next to Kanade, who was also smiling happily.

After watching the campfire for a while, Kanade-chan asked, “Kozue-chan, could you come with me for a minute?” I didn’t know where we were going, but I said, “Sure,” and followed Kanade-chan.

I changed into my shoes and went inside the school building, and it seemed that she was heading to our classroom.

“Did you forget something?”

When I asked her that, she said, “Well, something like that,” and did not tell me anything. I thought it was a little strange because Kanade-chan was different from the usual Kanade-chan who never tried to deceive me, but I quietly followed her.

We finally arrived at the front of the classroom.

“Kozue-chan, I’m sorry I brought you here without telling you. I’m sorry for bringing you here without telling you. Could you come into the classroom by yourself, Kozue-chan?”

“What? What’s wrong? Why do I have to go into the classroom alone?”

“Please! You’ll understand when you go in there. I promise you won’t be scared or anything.”

“Okay, okay. But next time, you’ll tell me before I go in, okay?”

“Yes! Thank you.”

I opened the door and saw someone in the classroom watching the campfire.

I knew my heart leaped as soon as I saw his profile.

(It was Mishima-kun!)

Mishima-kun’s profile, illuminated by the campfire light, was so fantastic that he looked like the hero of a story. I walked slowly up to Mishima-kun, my heart pounding.

“I’m sorry you had to go all the way to the classroom in the middle of the after-party.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”

“The reason I had Miyama-san help me come all the way here is that I had something I really wanted to tell Tanuki-san.”

“……Un”

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

His serious but somewhat anxious eyes made me feel as if I were being sucked in.

“Tanuki-san. I love you. I’m childish, I’m noisy, and I’ve given you a lot of trouble in the past, but from now on, I’ll try to be more mature. Will you please go out with me?”

I was filled with disbelief when I heard Mishima-kun’s words. I was too surprised to say anything, but Mishima-kun looked anxious.

“Is it no good?”

“I-I’m sorry. That's not it. I was so happy… I was so happy, that’s why I was so surprised that I couldn’t speak.”

“You were happy?”

“Yes, I was. I was very happy when Mishima-kun said that. Because I liked you, too.”

Mishima-kun looked serious and waited for my next words.

‘So, please go out with me. And please don’t force yourself to be an adult. Because the Mishima-kun I fell in love with is a bit childish, but when the time comes, he shows great concentration and can work hard and earnestly.”

We became lovers in this way and, holding hands, watched the campfire from the classroom for a little while before going out of the classroom.

Then, Kanade-chan and Yamagishi-kun were waiting for us in the hallway.

When I saw Kanade-chan’s face, I hugged her and said, “I’m going out with Mishima-kun,” to which she replied, “Congratulations, Kozue-chan.” I wanted Kanade-chan and Yamagishi-kun to go out with each other, too, but I couldn’t interfere because of the situation with Sakashita-san.

———

A month had passed since then, and I was now in my third year of college.

“Hey, how many classes do you have today, Kozue?”

“Until the fourth period. Satoru has until the 5th period, right? I’ll go home first and prepare some food.”

We started living together as soon as we entered our third year of college. To be precise, we both lived alone in the same apartment, but we spend most of our time in one of our rooms, so I think cohabitation is the perfect description.

And surprisingly, Kanade-chan and Yamagishi-kun also live alone together in the same apartment as us. Our relationship has remained unchanged since high school, and we have always remained good friends. Satoru calls Yamagishi-kun his “best friend,” and I consider Kanade-chan my most important “best friend.”

My dream now is for the four of us to remain close and together forever.

I hope that even after we graduate from college and become adults, get married and have children, and become grandmas and grandpas, we will always remain close “best friends.”

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TLN: There is technically no volume 3 but we’ll instead get 13 chapters of the after math. It’s going to be 3 chapters from each Yuri, Hazuki, and Kouki’s pov and 4 chapters from Kanade’s pov. But before that, we have 1 more interlude from Hanaka’s pov right after this.

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