My Childhood Friend, Sometimes a Schoolgirl—She Only Wears That Ribbon Around Me - Episode 7

“…You know, after I came back here, I kind of fantasized that maybe if I ran into you again, Sora-kun, we could fulfill our promise to get married.”

“…Wait, does that mean you still…?”

“But I’ve decided to let go of that fantasy—for now, at least.”

Yua smiled softly as she narrowed her eyes, sitting down beside me on the bench.

“Because the way I am now, I can’t be the kind of person you’d want.”

Hearing that caught me off guard. If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t measure up—not you, Yua.

“I mean, look at me. I don’t look girly at all, right?”

“I didn’t know if I should bring it up, but… can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, of course. I already have a pretty good idea what it’s about.”

Well, that’s fair. With such a big change in my childhood friend, anyone would be curious.

“It’s not just how you look. You changed your pronoun from atashi to boku, and the way you dress… When and why did you start dressing like a guy?”

Yua looked down for a moment, like she was gathering her thoughts.

“…It’s not a big deal, really. I just always admired the cool outfits guys get to wear, that’s all. Using boku is kind of part of the whole vibe, I guess?”

She said it casually, but her expression looked a little forced.

It was like she was holding on to some kind of sadness, like she’d had to give something up.

“But honestly, dressing like this comes with its own challenges. There are more things I have to be careful about than I expected.”

“Like what, exactly?”

“Well, stuff like going in and out of bathrooms. I have to be extra cautious not to cause a scene. I mean, if someone sees what looks like a guy walking into the girls’ restroom, of course they’re going to freak out.”

Once she explained it, it finally made sense. That’s why she was so alert outside the girls’ bathroom at school.

“In that case, you should try to be more natural when you’re checking your surroundings. Today, you seriously looked like a sketchy person lurking around the bathroom.”

“Hey, don’t be so mean! That’s not very considerate, you know?”

“Not like I have much room to talk, since I was the one mistaken for a pervert by Minamikata .”

“Oh yeah… Sorry about that. I should’ve come out of the bathroom and defended you right away, but I just couldn’t find the right moment.”

“Don’t worry about it. We still got to reunite like this, so it all worked out in the end.”

When I said that, Yua nodded and started looking at the pond with a nostalgic expression.

It felt like I had time-traveled back to the past—like some weight inside me was finally being lifted.

“Well then… let’s head out. Thanks for keeping me company, Sora-kun.”

“Y-Yeah.”

After a while, Yua stood up from the bench, stretched her arms up toward the sky, and let out a big yawn. As I watched her from the side, she noticed me staring.

“What is it, Sora-kun?”

“Uh, I was just thinking… maybe it’s time to change how you call me.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

“No real reason or anything…”

“Wait, don’t tell me… are you embarrassed?”

“Ugh…”

Bullseye. My face turned a little red.

“Aww, I knew it! You’re so easy to read. Classic teenager move, Sora-kun.”

Yua put her hands behind her back and leaned forward, peeking into my face playfully as I sat on the bench.

“It just feels kinda weird when you call me Sora-kun in front of people. I mean, we’re in high school now. It sounds a little childish, you know?”

“Look at you, hiding your face behind your arm. You’ve really learned how to be adorably shy, haven’t you?”

Shut up. Just leave me alone already.

“So, if we’re not around other people, it’s okay if I still call you Sora-kun?”

“I-I guess… But we’re in different classes anyway, so it’s not like we’ll run into each other that often.”

“In that case, I’ll just use a different name when we’re around classmates. But I don’t want to give up your nickname completely—it means a lot to me.”

“I mean… that’s fine, I guess…”

“Yay! Then we need to figure out what I will call you at school!”

She gently brushed her wind-blown hair aside and looked up at the darkening sky.

Then, as if something had just come to her, she let out a soft laugh.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll see you at school… Sora.”

With a calm smile, she leaned in close and gently touched my cheek with her hand.

My heart skipped a beat—and then started pounding like crazy.

“Well then, let’s get going.”

She turned her back to me and gave a playful smile as she started walking.

That tease… she totally did that on purpose to make me blush.

Whether she called me Sora-kun or Sora, there’s no way I won’t be thinking about it now.

“Jeez… she’s too cool and cute for her own good…”

Yua stopped in front of the bike rack and, looking completely unfazed, casually waved me over from where I was still sitting.

The image of her slightly blushing cheeks and soft smile stayed burned in my mind.

All this time, whenever I came to this park, I’d only remembered the Yua who was crying as we said goodbye.

But that sad memory—on this day, in this moment—had finally been replaced.