Chapter 6 | Angel and Childhood Friend

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“Looks like it’s raining today,” I said, feeling a little down as I watched the rain pouring outside.

It had been a little over a week since my childhood friend, Chisato, whom I had loved, confessed to me as part of a dare.

Since that day, I had been occasionally playing with Karin in the park after school. We had made plans to do so today, but unfortunately, it suddenly started raining.

I didn’t feel like I could go beyond the wall, but I had gotten a little closer to Kotomi.

Even so, I still didn’t know her true self.

(It was a good idea to bring a folding umbrella. It’s small, so I might get a little wet, but it should provide some cover.)

I took out the folding umbrella from my bag and opened it up.

Then, I was about to head home in the rain.

However, a certain monologue stopped me.

“What should I do… I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

When I looked to the side, I saw Chisato staring at the rain with a troubled look on her face.

She didn’t seem to notice me.

(Chisato doesn’t have an umbrella either…)

I looked down at my hand.

I could share an umbrella with Chisato like we used to, but I could easily imagine how awkward that would be.

We hadn’t talked much since that day.

Besides, the folding umbrella was small, so we would both get soaked.

Since Chisato hadn’t noticed me, the most rational option was to ignore her and go home.

However, my imagination and actions differed.

“Chisato, you don’t have an umbrella?”

“Ah, well… no.”

When Chisato realized it was me, she looked away.

That was probably because she felt awkward.

As for me, I had decided to treat her as a fellow student rather than as my childhood friend, so I wasn’t worried about it.

My heartbreak was also recovering.

“Then, use this. I’ll lend it to you.”

“Eh, but what about you, Yukkun?”

“I’ll just get wet on my way home.”

I practically forced the umbrella onto Chisato.

Then, I started running in the rain, using my bag as an umbrella.

“…Idiot.”

“Thank you for lending me this.”

During lunch break, as I was about to go to Kotomi to eat the lunch she had made as promised, Chisato called out to me.

It seemed she was returning the folding umbrella that I had lent her yesterday.

I took the folding umbrella from Chisato.

“Yeah, you didn’t have to return it.”

“It’s not like you said I could keep it, and I don’t want to borrow stuff forever.”

“I see, well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Besides, it was really nice of you to lend me your umbrella while you got wet. Are you an idiot?”

“Maybe I am, but Chisato didn’t get wet, so everything worked out okay.”

I was about to go to my locker to put the umbrella away when Chisato stopped me.

“Hey… do you have a minute?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Are you still… angry about that thing?”

“I’m not angry, or rather, I don’t care.”

“Liar.”

I had spent many years with Chisato, so we had had our share of fights.

That’s why we usually knew how each other was feeling.

“I’m telling you the truth, I’m not angry. If I was angry, I wouldn’t have lent you my umbrella. Isn’t it you who cares?”

“M-Me? … Now that you mention it, maybe it is.”

“Ah, I did say I liked you, but it was more like, ‘If it’s Chisato, I don’t mind.’ I don’t have any romantic feelings… Were you perhaps worried about that?”

“H-Huh? There’s no way. Are you stupid?”

“Then, that’s good. It’s not like I’ll fall in love with you, Chisato.”

“I could say the same thing.”

Chisato and I looked at each other and laughed.

Perhaps this kind of distance was good.

Chisato would remain my childhood friend, and it was better to keep this relationship as it was rather than having any awkwardness due to romantic feelings.

“Anyway, don’t do something like confessing as part of a dare when you don’t even like someone. I hate that kind of thing the most.”

“There’s no way I would do that… except with you.”

“What does that mean, is it okay if it’s me?”

“Well, you’re easy to tease.”

Chisato always annoyed me with the perfect level of teasing without raising my anger meter.

That kind of conversation was normal for us. The awkward feeling was gone, and we were back to our usual conversations.

Then, after a little while, I heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Um, Hanazawa-san, I brought your lunch.”

I turned around. Kotomi was standing there.

Chisato looked surprised when she saw her face.

“…The angel?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, were you in the middle of a conversation?”

“No, I was just returning the umbrella that I borrowed from Yuzu-kun yesterday.”

Chisato was flustered and using polite language.

On the other hand, Kotomi was wearing her usual angelic smile.

Chisato and Kotomi were in different classes, but it seemed that she knew about her because the angel’s influence was so great.

“I see… Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Kotomi Amase.”

“I’m Chisato Nishimiya. Um, Amase-san, do you need something from Yuzu-kun?”

“I had a promise with Hanazawa-san to have lunch together… It’s fine if it’s not possible.”

Kotomi smiled, now facing me.

The original promise was with Kotomi first, and I had no plans with Chisato.

“We were just chatting here.”

“We were going to eat lunch together. Ah, but can I borrow Yuzu-kun for a little bit longer?”

“Understood. Then, Hanazawa-san, I’ll be waiting for you at the same place as yesterday.”

Kotomi said that and turned to walk toward the terrace.

As soon as Kotomi left, Chisato questioned me.

“…Are you close with the angel?”

“Whether we’re close or not is up for debate, but I do have contact with Amase.”

“She has lunch for two people, so today’s lunch for Yukkun is the angel’s homemade lunch, right? You guys are practically a couple.”

“Why does it have to be like that? It’s just that things happened like that.”

“You wouldn’t be able to eat the homemade lunch of that untouchable angel by accident! …So? How far did it go?”

“We meet almost every day after school, but nothing else.”

There might be some slight misinterpretation, but it was the truth.

If I talked about my relationship with Kotomi and her sister here, it would be revealed that I had been depressed alone after the fake confession.

If that happened, I would be teased for a month.

“That’s a big deal! …Well, go on, I’ll ask you later.”

“O-Okay.”

I was forcefully pushed on the back by Chisato and headed towards the terrace.

From behind, Chisato’s sigh sounded strangely clear.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t had lunch together with Yukkun even once since high school…”

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