Chapter 14: Childhood Friend VS Childhood Friend (provisional)

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Translator: Soafp

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[Miyabi PoV]

The winter sky was a dull gray, and the cold wind stung my cheeks.

The breath I exhaled turned white, slightly dampening the fallen leaves underfoot.

It was supposed to be nearing sunset, but the thick clouds hanging low made it feel as dark as night.

We hurried through the shopping district.

Normally, this street would be bustling with shoppers and students, but today it was eerily quiet.

Perhaps due to the cold, people had taken refuge inside the shops.

Small sections of the street were beginning to light up with illuminations, casting a warm glow that seemed to momentarily make one forget the chill in the air.

Glancing at those lights, we continued toward our destination.

“This is the place, right?”

Aoi said, slightly out of breath.

Standing before us was a retro-looking café. The small sign that read “Café Metro” had a nostalgic feel to it.

I nodded silently.

“It’s quite an old establishment.”

“Keita and I usually only go to Starbucks, so this kind of place is a first for me.”

Takematsu-senpai and Godai-senpai looked around the café with curious expressions.

Café Metro. It was the place Hajime often frequented.

Aoi and I had been here a few times before. But today’s purpose was different from those other times.

Nervously, I tightened the scarf around my neck and slowly peeked through the café's window.

And then—I gasped.

“No way…”

Aoi’s voice was trembling.

My chest tightened in pain.

The café was almost empty, with few customers. So it wasn't hard to spot the person we were looking for, sitting at a table near the window.

Hajime Aizawa.

And sitting next to him were—

Marin Kousaka and Kagura Shinomiya.

Hajime sat sandwiched between Marin and Kagura.

The sight of the three of them together, looking like old friends, was completely different from the Hajime I knew.

Marin, with a slightly embarrassed expression, tugged lightly at Hajime’s sleeve, saying something to him. Her gesture looked almost playful.

Kagura, watching this, grinned with amusement and casually leaned on Hajime’s shoulder, whispering something in his ear.

Hajime, while looking a little troubled, didn't seem to be rejecting their closeness.

“This is… annoying.”

Annoying? Do the seniors know about Hajime?

“…What is that?”

Aoi’s voice lowered.

At her words, I turned my gaze back to the café.

My chest throbbed painfully.

The person in front of me was definitely Hajime, but—

He seemed like a different person from the Hajime I knew.

“Why…?”

My fingers, pressed against the cold glass, felt numb.

I didn't want to believe what I was seeing.

“…Let's go in.”

Aoi said firmly.

I slowly nodded, and with resolve, reached for the café door.

Clang.

The bell rang as I opened the door, the sound echoing through the quiet café.

The cold winter wind at my back, the warm air of the café wrapped around me. Soft lighting, the smell of fresh coffee, and low jazz music created a calm atmosphere, but our hearts were racing in turmoil.

Then, the three sitting by the window turned to face us.

Hajime Aizawa, Marin Kousaka, and Kagura Shinomiya.

Hajime, meeting my eyes, froze with a look of surprise. Marin widened her eyes, and Kagura raised an eyebrow slightly.

We walked quickly toward their table, stopping directly in front of them, standing with our gazes fixed downward.

“…Miyabi, Aoi?”

Hajime's voice, filled with confusion, echoed in the quiet café.

“What… is going on here?”

Aoi's voice was low.

I clenched my fists, glaring at Hajime.

“Explain yourself. Why are you here, being so friendly with these people?”

Hajime's eyes darted around nervously as he fumbled for words.

“Uh, um… well…”

I tried to remain as calm as possible.

But my chest was throbbing with pain.

I wanted to demand answers more forcefully.

But we were the ones who had distanced ourselves from him.

Do I even have the right to question him?

As I wrestled with my thoughts, my emotions spun out of control.

“What's your relationship? Why is Hajime with these girls…?”

“…Girls?”

Kagura frowned.

“And who are you?”

Marin, looking a bit confused, asked in a small voice.

That question left us momentarily stunned.

“Who, you ask… We are—”

“We’re childhood friends.”

Hajime quickly interjected.

“M-Miyabi and Aoi are my friends from way back. We’re childhood friends.”

The moment those words left Hajime’s mouth, Marin and Kagura’s expressions changed.

Surprise turned into a subtle displeasure in an instant.

“Childhood friends of Sensei, huh…?”

Kagura slowly crossed her arms.

“Sensei…?”

I furrowed my brow.

“Why are you calling Hajime ‘Sensei’?”

“Yeah, what's going on?”

Aoi asked suspiciously as well.

However, Marin and Kagura didn’t respond. After exchanging a quick glance, Kagura smiled slightly.

“Because, he’s our Sensei, that’s all.”

“I don’t understand…!”

I moved closer to Kagura, but she didn't lose her calm smile.

“Why are you calling Hajime that, and what do you mean by it?”

“It’s simple. That’s just the relationship we have with him.”

Kagura stated nonchalantly.

“Relationship?”

Aoi’s frown deepened.

“I don't think it's any of your business who Sensei spends time with.”

Marin said quietly, her words carrying a clear tone of warning.

“…!”

I swallowed my words.

“But…”

Marin gently grasped Hajime's sleeve.

After a brief pause, she spoke again.

“We… we genuinely care about Sensei, that’s for sure…”

That one statement stabbed at my heart.

Aoi's shoulders shook slightly.

I, too, was at a loss for words.

They hadn't explicitly said “love,” but their actions spoke volumes about their special feelings for Hajime.

“…Do you really know what kind of person Hajime is?”

Aoi muttered in a low voice.

“Of course.”

Kagura answered without hesitation.

“In fact, maybe it's you two who only know the ‘old’ Sensei.”

Her words hit me like a sharp blow.

I couldn't think of anything to say in return.

“Haha, what is even happening here?”

Suddenly, a casual, almost inappropriate voice broke the tension.

It was Godai-senpai.

“Isn't it nice to be so popular, Aizawa?”

He laughed and tried to casually put his hand on my shoulder.

“Miyabi-chan. Don't make such a scary face.”

“…Please stop.”

I said coldly, shrugging off his hand.

Godai-senpai looked momentarily surprised, but then smiled slyly.

“That's cold. Aren't we a couple?”

“…!”

“Well then, maybe I'll get close to Aoi-chan instead?”

Takematsu-senpai joked as he lightly touched Aoi's shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Aoi glared sharply, and Takematsu-senpai pulled his hand back with an awkward smile.

“Whoa, whoa, it's just a joke.”

“Even as a joke, stop it right now.”

Aoi's voice was ice-cold.

The atmosphere had completely unraveled.

Marin and Kagura stayed close to Hajime, as if shielding him from us, while Godai-senpai and Takematsu-senpai seemed irritated by the situation.

I held my breath.

Everything was a complete mess.

“Enough, please stop!”

Suddenly, Hajime's loud voice echoed through the café.

Everyone froze for a moment.

Hajime stood up and took a deep breath.

“Marin-san and Kagura-san were just here to return something I had dropped!”

His eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Hajime, who rarely raised his voice.

Perhaps we had pushed him too far.

“…I understand.”

I took a step back.

“For now, let's just leave it at this.”

Aoi, though reluctant, nodded as well.

I have many questions and things I'm wondering about, but I don’t feel like I can make a calm decision right now.

The stormy moment came to an end for the time being.

But—

Somehow, I had the feeling that this was just the beginning, and with a sense of reluctance, I left the café with Aoi and the others.