Chapter 24: Suspicious

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Translator: Soafp

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“How cute. Is she your daughter?”

“Yeah. Hard to believe, but I've got a kid now.”

Senda-senpai and I are sitting on a bench in the plaza.

A little ways off, a woman who looks older than me is happily playing near the fountain with a small girl.

Apparently, they're his wife and daughter.

“I managed to get some time off, so I came back to my hometown for the first time in a while. I live in another prefecture now.”

“I see.”

When he first called out to me earlier, I was shaken, and my old trauma came rushing back—I was terrified. But… now, I don't feel that way.

“Fukase… about back in middle school, I'm really sorry.”

Looking me in the eyes, Chida-senpai bowed deeply.

To be honest, what he did to me back then is still a big deal in my memory.

But… I don't really have the right to hold it against him anymore.

“Please raise your head. I don't hold a grudge.”

“Huh…? What…?”

Hearing my words, Senda-senpai looked wide-eyed.

“Wh-why…? Why would you forgive me so easily…?”

Well, of course he'd wonder that… I feel the same way about Haruki.

“Looking at you now, I can tell you really regret what happened. And that you've reflected on it, too.”

“Still, even so…”

“Anyone can make mistakes in life. So really, don't worry about it anymore.”

I just repeated the words Haruki once said to me.

When he heard them, Senda-senpai got teary-eyed and kept saying “Thank you” over and over.

At that moment, I felt a little lighter.

Holding onto resentment is emotionally draining.

Watching Senda-senpai, I truly realized that sometimes forgiving someone is important.

(I wonder… did Haruki feel the same way? Is that why he forgave me too…?)

“I’m really glad I ran into you today, Fukase. Thank you for listening.”

“You've changed, Senpai. You're nothing like the person you used to be.”

“Ah, yeah. After I graduated middle school and started working, I went through a lot… and I realized how powerless and pathetic I really was.”

Sniffling as he spoke, Senda-senpai's face looked gentle.

It was because he entered society, stood on his own two feet, and faced reality that he was able to change—and now, he has a family and is living a decent life.

“Come to think of it… I actually ran into Asano here a few years ago, too.”

He said that like something had just come to mind.

“What!? You saw Haruki!?”

“Yeah. It was around my second year as a carpenter's apprentice, so I think he was in his first year of high school at the time.”

“Um… sorry, but… did anything happen between you two?”

“Haha, no way. I'd already mellowed out by then. And Asano stayed calm even after seeing me.”

So Haruki met Senda-senpai again after middle school…

“Wait, then… he never told me about it…?”

“Yeah. I asked him back then to let you know that I was sorry for everything. Told him to pass it on.”

“I see…”

At that time, Haruki and I weren't even speaking—he'd cut ties with me. So of course that message never reached me.

“By the way, what are you doing here, Fukase? You're alone, right?”

“Huh? Oh… well…”

I can't tell him I got jealous of Endo-san, took it out on Haruki, and ran away…

“Actually, I said something really terrible to a friend earlier… So I've been walking around to cool my head, and I ended up here.”

It wasn't walking—I ran away from Haruki.

“Huh, so you have that side to you too. I always thought of you as a flawless honor student type.”

“That's not true… I'm really not that great of a person.”

Yeah… I'm far from being some admirable person.

“Well, I don't know the details, but… if you just speak honestly, it should be fine. Explain why you said what you did. If you still can't come to an understanding, then maybe it's best to keep some distance.”

He hit the nail on the head.

We'd finally managed to get back to being childhood friends… and now I'm thinking of pulling away again.

But… maybe staying close like this will just keep hurting.

Still, I want to tell him how I really feel.

“It's important to speak your mind, right? I'll try my best.”

Senda-senpai gave me a gentle smile and nodded.

“R-right, more importantly—when you met Haruki here, what did you two talk about?”

I wanted to change the topic, so I asked the first thing that came to mind.

“Well… it wasn't a long conversation or anything.”

Maybe it's because both of us once went way off track in life…?

But for some reason, every word from Senpai seemed to resonate deeply with me. And what he said next pulled me in so much, I forgot to even respond.

“Well then, Fukase. Thanks again for today.”

“Yes. You take care too, Senpai…”

Senda-senpai left the plaza with his wife and daughter.

I stayed sitting on the bench, dazed and alone.

Looking at the clock in the plaza, I realized it was past 6 p.m. and the sun was setting.

“I should go home…”

I got to my feet slowly… and, bracing myself, I began walking toward Haruki's house.

---

“Shiho! Where have you been!?”

“…Ah, Mom.”

I had been walking slowly back from the plaza, and by the time I reached my house, it was just before 7 p.m. It had already gotten completely dark outside.

“Haruki's been searching all over for you!”

“Eh… I-I'm sorry…”

My mom had just gotten home from work. Apparently, Haruki had told her what was going on, and she'd been waiting for me in front of the house.

“Shiho!”

The voice calling out from behind was Haruki's.

He was out of breath—it was easy to imagine he had been running around trying to find me because I was so late getting home.

“H-Haruki…”

“Thank goodness. Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. You were looking for me…? Sorry I worried you.”

“I see. That's good, then.”

Haruki wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a big sigh of relief. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes…

“Don't make Haruki worry like that again!”

“Now, now…”

My mom was about to scold me, but Haruki calmed things down, so it didn't turn into a big ordeal.

“Haruki, I'm really sorry about today.”

“N-No… Um, Shiho—”

Haruki was trying to say something, but I pretended not to hear and rushed into the house.

Right now… I just wasn't in the right state of mind to talk to Haruki like usual.

---

“So this is the apartment where Haruki lives…”

I was now standing in front of the door to Haruki's apartment, holding a large melon.

How did I end up in this situation…?

About an hour earlier—

“Shiho, do you have a moment?”

“What is it, Mom?”

Several days had passed since I reunited with Senda-senpai. It was Sunday, and since I had no plans, I'd been studying at home.

“A relative sent us some melons.”

“Oh, really?”

“Could you take one to Haruki's place?”

“Eh!? T-To Haruki's…?”

“He helped us out the other day, remember? And he likes melons, doesn't he? I heard he's living on his own now.”

“But… I don't know where he lives.”

“Don't you have his contact info?”

“…Yeah, I do, but…”

“Then it's settled.”

Haruki and I had exchanged contact info a little while ago. But I had never messaged or called him.

I didn't have the courage to reach out. I mean, unless you're family or a romantic partner, you can't just contact someone without a reason… right?

And I was neither of those.

“…But this time I have a clear reason…”

I opened the app, selected Haruki's contact, and started typing a message. I wanted to send it—but I couldn't muster the courage.

After all, he had gone out of his way to look for me the other day, and I had acted coldly and didn't even thank him.

I'd still been shaken by talking with Chida-senpai back then…

“A relative sent us some melons. Would you like one?”

I drafted a message, but it ended up sounding overly formal and awkward. The thought of him not replying made my stomach twist.

I kept hesitating, and time just kept slipping by. Finally, I gathered all my courage and tapped “Send.”

Now, all I could do was wait for Haruki's reply. Would he respond quickly? Would he even respond at all…?

My heart was racing when, suddenly, my phone vibrated strongly. It was an incoming call.

When I looked at the screen, it displayed “Haruki Asano.”

“H-Hello!?”

“Hey, Shiho. It's me.”

It was Haruki, of course.

I couldn't believe he was calling me—I was overwhelmed with joy.

“About the melon—are you sure I can have it?”

“Y-Yeah! You like melons, right?”

“Yeah. Then… I could come to your place to get it. It's heavy, isn't it?”

“Um…”

That's when a small, selfish thought crept into my mind.

—I wanted to see where Haruki lived.

“I'll bring it to you. I'm stronger than I look. So, um…”

“Okay. I'll give you my address and room number, then.”

And that's how I ended up here, in front of Haruki's apartment.

Nervously, I rang the intercom.

I heard the click of the lock opening.

“You got here fast, Shiho. Thanks for coming.”

“Y-Yeah. Um… here, this is for you.”

When Haruki opened the door and I saw him, my heart jumped in my chest. With trembling hands, I passed the bag with the melon to him.

“We used to eat these together all the time, huh? It's been a while—I'm really looking forward to it.”

Seeing how happy Haruki looked made me glad I came. I felt my tension melt away, and a smile naturally spread across my face…

“Well… I should go now.”

I had delivered the melon. My errand was over. There was no reason for me to stay any longer.

But… I was meeting Haruki on a day off. And I'd come all the way to his apartment. Leaving now felt… a little too soon.

(…That's a selfish thought, isn't it?)

He had called me his childhood friend the other day, and I was letting it get to my head.

I wasn't his girlfriend.

Haruki had Endo-san… his actual girlfriend.

And yet… what happened the other day still lingered in my mind…

“Come on in. You came all this way, right? At least have some tea.”

“…Eh? I-Is it really okay…?”

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been hoping for this. But hearing it directly from Haruki made my heart soar.

“Are you sure? I won't be a bother…?”

“Yeah. Don't worry about it.”

“T-Then… excuse me for intruding.”

And with that, I stepped into Haruki's apartment.

Was it his fabric softener?

A gentle scent drifted through the air as I stepped inside.

(It smells like Haruki…)

The calm I had just begun to feel was once again replaced by a wave of nervousness washing over me.