My Childhood Friend, Sometimes a Schoolgirl—She Only Wears That Ribbon Around Me - Episode 6

I managed to avoid being dragged off to the teachers’ office, and instead, I left the school building with Yua.

From Mebuki High to the nearest station, it’s a walk. Then two train stops to the station near my house. From there, I usually bike home. That’s my regular commute to and from school.

But today, once we got to the station near my house, I decided not to use my bike. Instead, Yua and I walked home together, like we used to in the past.

Turns out Yua, just like when we were kids, is staying at her grandma’s place again now that she’s transferred schools. It’s in the same direction as my house—and only a five-minute walk away. Pretty close neighbors.

Walking home with her like this… it hadn’t happened since third grade.

“This street feels so nostalgic… but something about it’s different now,” Yua said.

“Well, yeah. It’s been a while since we were in elementary school. The shopping area near the station’s got some new salons and bars now. But honestly, there are still more closed shutters than open stores.”

Her words made me picture how the town looked back when we used to hang out.

Eight years sounds like a long time, but somehow it’s gone by fast. After all, we were just elementary kids back then—and now we’re in high school.

Of course, the town has changed. People change too.

I glanced at Yua walking beside me. She had definitely changed.

I wanted to talk about old memories, but just as much, I had a ton of things I wanted to ask her. Where do I even start?

“You moved to Tokyo because of your parents, right?”

“Whoa, you remember that?”

“More or less. So… did your parents move back with you?”

“Nope, it’s just me. Mom’s still working in Tokyo. Apparently, there aren’t many good-paying jobs in her field around here.”

Yua’s mom divorced when she was in kindergarten. Back when Yua was in elementary school, she lived with her grandma while her mom worked every day.

We weren’t particularly close back then, but I remember seeing her mom a few times—at school entrance ceremonies, open house events.

Even as a kid, I didn’t get a great impression of her.

She was young and pretty, sure—but compared to other classmates’ parents, she seemed flashy, like she gave off this intense vibe.

I think my instincts weren’t far off. One time, I saw her talking with our teacher. I didn’t know the details, but she looked angry—like she was constantly upset about something.

And… back then, Yua always seemed scared of her mom.

“Ah… hey, Sora?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“That’s the park we used to play at, right?”

Yua pointed at the big park that pretty much everyone in our neighborhood knows.

After school, we used to play there every single day. Even on rainy days, we’d hang out under the covered benches.

“We’d jump rope, race around, and play pretend like we were in some secret organization.”

Yua stopped at the park entrance, took a deep breath, like she was trying to stir up old memories.

“Hey Sora, wanna take a little detour?”

“As long as we don’t get home too late.”

I pulled out my phone to check the time.

“You have something to do after this? It’s okay, you don’t have to come if you’re busy.”

“Nah, just dinner. As long as I message my sister, it’s fine.”

“Oh wow, you still get along with Kanami?”

“Well enough. When we’re home, it’s usually just the two of us.”

I had some time before Kanami finished making dinner. As long as I let her know, coming home a bit late shouldn’t be a problem.

I opened our chat and sent her a quick “I’ll be home a little late,” then left my bike in the parking lot. Yua and I headed into the park.

The trees surrounding the open space were glowing warmly in the sunset, welcoming us back.

We walked toward the pond in the middle of the park. Yua turned slowly and looked all around.

“It’s just like it was back then…!”

Her eyes sparkled like the surface of the water. Then she suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me close.

“Y-Yua…?”

She hugged my arm tightly against her chest, and I couldn’t help but get flustered.

She used to do this when we were kids, but it feels totally different now—both physically and emotionally. No wonder I was thrown off.

“Hey Sora… how much do you remember about the conversation we had the day before I moved away?”

“All of it… I still think about that day sometimes.”

“Hehe… really? That makes me kind of happy…”

She grinned shyly, scratching her temple with her index finger like she was trying to hide how flattered she felt.

“But… I never really kept the promise we made that day.”

“You mean the ‘let’s get married when we grow up’ promise?”

“Well, that too…”

We’re in high school now—marriage isn’t exactly in the cards. And let’s be real, I’m nowhere near being someone worthy of her.

“I said, ‘I’ll grow bigger, become more manly, and come find you’… I did grow a bit taller, but I’m still not manly at all. And I didn’t even go looking for you.”

“You don’t have to worry about stuff like that. We were just kids, you know?”

Yua let go of my arm and sat down on a bench near the pond.