My Childhood Friend, Sometimes a Schoolgirl—She Only Wears That Ribbon Around Me - Episode 39

“You said last time it was a ‘chance’… When the date was set, you seemed okay with me going out with Minamikata, didn’t you!?”

“From what I heard, the situation is different now… Even when I first heard about it, I kind of thought there might be something going on behind the scenes.”

“Something going on behind the scenes…? Minamikata’s not that kind of person!”

“Can you really say that for sure when you’ve barely even been together?”

“Then what about you… How can you say so much about Minamikata when you don’t know anything about her!?”

I couldn’t help but get emotional.

Before the date with Minamikata, when I told Yua about it, a confusing feeling welled up deep inside me—despite her actually approving my connection with Minamikata, it still felt like selfish wishful thinking.

Yua was the only one on my side. She liked me. That flicker of comfort born from my emotional turmoil was quickly filled with anxiety and frustration—unmanly, but there it was.

Even though I’d already sent Minamikata off once… now, I wished she wouldn’t deny it.

“This doesn’t concern you, Yua…”

I muttered, throwing out my negative feelings.

“Who I like isn’t your business. You’re not my girlfriend, and you don’t have feelings for me…!”

Facing me, shouting as if pushing her away, I wondered what she must be thinking.

Her lips trembled slightly, and the light in her eyes gradually faded.

But by then—I had no way back.

“Just… leave me alone. Our relationship now isn’t the same as when we were kids.”

I swung onto my bike and started riding down the school route, leaving her behind.

There was no sign that Yua was hurrying to catch up, and I didn’t look back.

Yeah, that was fine. I didn’t want her to follow.

I was nothing like the ideal childhood friend she imagined. I had become selfish and weak—no longer the kind of guy who could stand by her side.

Since the date, things between Minamikata and me had gotten closer, and I’d hoped we’d have more chances to talk at school—but reality wasn’t that kind.

We’d greet each other or have light chats sometimes, but that happened even before the date. Nothing really changed. If anything, I’d gotten more used to being with her one-on-one, so I wasn’t as nervous when she suddenly talked to me.

There was, however, one big change in my life recently—or rather, a return to how things used to be.

The Monday after my date with Minamikata—the day I argued with Yua over her.

Since that incident, the distance between Yua and me hadn’t closed.

Ever since she transferred here, I’d seen her almost every day. But now, we’d even look away when passing each other in the hallway—it was so awkward.

Not just going to and from school, but during lunch breaks and joint classes—because my relationship with Yua soured, my school life inevitably went back to being lonely.

Honestly, I felt lonely, but I was the one who selfishly pushed her away.

Even if the shadowy me ended up alone again, no one cared.

The members of Yua’s fan club, “Yuu’s,” who used to be hostile toward me, seemed to have lost interest the moment I distanced myself from her.

But—there was one person in class who still cared about me.

“Tsuzuki-kun, is something wrong lately?”

Only Minamikata Saho showed any concern about me like this.

A few days after things went bad with Yua—while I ate lunch quietly alone in the classroom, she came over, worried.

“…”

If I could talk to someone, I wanted to open up to Minamikata and feel better.

I wanted to get rid of my hopeless regrets.

But the problem was, things got messy with Yua because of my date with Minamikata.

Minamikata wasn’t at fault at all, but if I told her everything, she might worry.

“Sorry if I’m wrong, but are you troubled about Yua?”

Minamikata seemed to already have a good guess about what was bothering me and asked first while I was still thinking how to explain.

“I thought you seemed troubled. I figured it’d be better to talk face-to-face than just messaging. Was it annoying for me to approach you in the classroom?”

“Not annoying at all. Actually, I was just about to find someone to talk to.”

Minamikata’s close group of gal friends must have gone to the cafeteria, because none were around.

Usually, she would have gone with them, but she probably made an excuse to stay.

Still, even without them, the classroom wasn’t empty.

From a distance, I could faintly hear boys whispering, “Why is that loser talking with Minamikata-san?”

I was honestly glad Minamikata cared about me, but I didn’t want rumors to spread and make things worse.

“Wanna step outside and talk for a bit?”

“You’d rather not have people overhear?”

“Well, yeah. Honestly, I’d hesitate to talk about this at school anyway…”

Not only because Minamikata was super popular with the boys, but also because the topic was Yua, who was top with the girls.

I’m the type who wants to avoid trouble, so I didn’t want to stand out in a bad way.