My Childhood Friend, Sometimes a Schoolgirl—She Only Wears That Ribbon Around Me - Episode 15

“…Damn it.”

The moment I opened the door and saw the scene before me, those words slipped out.

This was the second-floor room where I had brought Yua.

As soon as I got home, I was distracted by my sister dressed as a maid, then my attention shifted to Yua in her girly outfit. Amid all this fluster, I had completely forgotten something important.

Comics and textbooks were scattered across the floor and bed, with a pile of cardboard boxes shoved lazily into a corner. On the low table in the center lay empty snack wrappers—in other words, a messy room totally unfit for inviting a girl.

I felt a wave of regret and shame. I really should’ve been tidying up little by little on a regular basis.

“Is something wrong, Sora-kun?”

From where Yua was standing, it seemed she couldn’t see inside the room yet. She called out curiously, noticing I was frozen in place and hesitating to step inside.

“Sorry. Can you wait here for a bit?”

“? Is there something you don’t want me to see?”

“Well, not exactly something I don’t want you to see, but more like… I don’t want you to see the state of the room.”

“Could it be you have some kind of naughty posters all over the walls?”

“Like that would ever happen!”

Thanks to my sister’s words earlier, that kind of idea had gotten stuck in my head.

Yua gave me a suspicious look, staring into my eyes. If I forced her to wait outside in the hallway, that suspicion might seem true.

“Alright, I’ll show you—but please don’t be grossed out, okay?”

Even saying that, I knew it was a tough request.

I sighed once, then made some space beside me. Yua leaned in and peered into the room.

“Th-this is…”

“Don’t say any more. I know better than anyone how bad it looks.”

“Heh, haha… What? Is that all?”

Ignoring my embarrassed face hidden behind my palm, Yua laughed.

“Is there really anything funny about this room?”

“Sorry, sorry! I just thought maybe you didn’t want to show me because it was some shady room, but it’s just messy, that’s all.”

She wiped the faint tears forming in her eyes with her finger.

I had thought she’d be totally put off by such a sloppy room, but it seemed I was worrying for nothing.

In fact, that messy room somehow cleared the weird tension that had been hanging between us earlier.

“So, uh… could you wait here or maybe in the living room for a bit? I’ll clean it up real quick.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it!”

“But even so, you probably can’t relax in a room like this, right?”

“No, no! I’ll help you clean this room!”

“No way, that’d be bad! You shouldn’t make a guest help clean your room.”

“Is it worse to leave a guest hanging out in the hallway or living room?”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

I had no reply to that perfectly reasonable argument.

My sister’s downstairs, but I was still worried about leaving Yua alone with her. If my sister said something weird, the awkward mood would just come back.

“…Alright. Could you help me clean up?”

“Alright! Leave it to me! Let’s get this done quick!… Though, before we start cleaning…”

Yua snuggled close, pressing her shoulder against mine.

“Don’t you have something you want to say first?”

Her tone was a little sharp as she looked up at me.

“Say something first…?”

“You’re so dense. Or are you avoiding it on purpose because you think it doesn’t suit you?”

Hearing that, I finally realized.

Yua had dressed in a girly outfit—the first time I’d seen her like this since elementary school—and apparently, I hadn’t given her any reaction, which bothered her.

“Uh… yeah, about that…”

When I tried to say something, my words got stuck, and I felt regret right away.

No matter how honest it was, my late compliment would probably sound like just flattery. And more than that, it felt pathetic that she had to ask me about this.

Yua still liked me, at least a little.

I remembered the day we reunited, at the park we visited together, when she talked about the fantasy of maybe fulfilling a promise to marry someday.

Usually, she dressed as a boy by choice, but that day, her words and expression hinted there was more going on.

On top of that, she’d gone through the trouble of changing from a boy’s uniform into a girl’s casual clothes, which might have been a “big step” for her.

Though she acted a bit sulky on purpose, I could see a shadow behind her smile.

“…Yua.”

When I called her name, she nervously pursed her lips.

It was embarrassing to say it out loud, but I had to be honest.

“You look good in boy’s clothes… but you look just as good in those cute girly clothes too.”

“…!”

Yua’s eyes opened wide at my words.

The shadow disappeared from her face as if sunlight had broken through.

She smiled softly and turned toward me, resting her head gently on my shoulder.

“When you say that, Sora-kun… it gives me a little confidence.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, different from her usual bright tone or her strong boyish voice.

Hearing it made my face heat up all the way to my ears.

“All right, I’m feeling pumped! Now I can work hard cleaning!”

“Good. Thanks, Yua.”

“Leave it to me, Sora-kun!”

She lifted her head off my shoulder and dropped to her knees, already picking up the scattered comics and textbooks around us.