My Childhood Friend, Who I Made a Promise To Spend the Future With, Dumped Me... But Ever Since I Started Dating a Beautiful Girl From School, My Childhood Friend Has Been Acting Strange - Episode 2
“Suzuki-kun, what do you usually do after school?”
“I usually hang out with my childhood friend, Saori.”
“Childhood friend? Â So, you’re childhood friends with Azusa Asusa-san? That explains why you two are always together.”
The two were now in the city, walking along a street near the shopping arcade.
“But why didn’t you go home with Asusa-san today?”
“Well, a lot happened… We broke up.”
“Broke up?”
“Yeah, she dumped me…”
“So, you were dating?”
“Yeah, sort of.”
Suzuki Toma and Saori were not only childhood friends but also a couple.
However, it seemed that other people hadn’t realized they were actually together.
“That must be tough, Suzuki-san.”
“Yeah… I guess.”
It was something he didn’t really want to think about.
Toma nodded slightly, keeping his response short and detached as he spoke to Kamiya Suzuha, who was walking beside him.
He didn’t even know what went wrong.
He had no idea what had upset Saori, and even now, there was still no reply from her on his phone.
“Well, life comes with all kinds of things. Oh, here we are! This is the café I was talking about.”
As they walked through the city, Suzuha pointed at a café she had wanted to visit.
The two of them opened the door and entered the shop in the evening glow.
A female staff member guided them to their seats, where they sat across from each other.
The café wasn’t too crowded—just an ordinary, pleasant space.
A refined, mature atmosphere filled the air, accompanied by a gentle background melody.
“Suzuki-kun, what are you going to order?”
She placed a menu on the table.
“What kind of things do they have?”
“Something like this.”
Toma glanced at the menu as she pointed at different items.
It seemed the café mainly served coffee, cocoa, cakes, and parfaits.
“The coffee here is really good, so if you can drink it, I recommend it. Also, the rare cheesecake is a must-try.”
“That so?”
The menu’s cake photos all looked delicious, but since Suzuha recommended it, he decided on the rare cheesecake.
“Then I’ll go with a regular coffee and the rare cheesecake.”
“Got it. Those two, then.”
“What about you, Kamiya-san?”
“I’ve already decided.”
After briefly looking at Toma, Suzuha raised her hand to call over a staff member while remaining seated.
“Suzuki-kun, getting dumped by your childhood friend must be tough. But if you ever need to talk about anything, you can always come to me.”
After placing their order, Suzuha spoke to him again.
“Thanks… It’s not exactly a problem, but I keep wondering why Saori suddenly changed her mind. As a girl, do you have any idea?”
Toma decided to ask for her opinion.
“Hmm, I don’t know… I’ve never really interacted with Asusa-san much, so I can’t say for sure. But maybe you did something that upset her?”
“Yeah… That’s what I thought at first too. But no matter how much I think about it, nothing comes to mind.”
“Really? Then I don’t know either.”
Suzuha tilted her head.
“Is there anything else that comes to mind?”
“Not really.”
“Did you do anything weird?”
“Weird…? No, I don’t think so. Everything was normal until yesterday. But from this morning, she started acting strange.”
“If it started this morning… then I really don’t know. Sorry.”
She looked apologetic, unable to come up with any ideas.
“But if it’s just a small issue, wouldn’t it be better to clear it up quickly?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Toma checked his phone again while still seated.
But there was still no reply from her.
Did I really do something that bad…?
Without a solution in sight, he remained troubled.
As their conversation reached a pause, the female staff member returned with their orders.
On the table, the cakes looked even more beautiful than their menu photos.
A drizzle of blueberry sauce decorated the rare cheesecake, and beside it was his coffee.
After the staff member left, Toma took a sip along with Suzuha.
The coffee had a great taste—neither too weak nor too strong, just perfect.
“The coffee here is great, isn’t it? Try the cheesecake too.”
Encouraged by Suzuha, Toma picked up his fork and took a bite of the rare cheesecake.
As he chewed, the blend of blueberry sauce and rich cheese spread throughout his mouth, creating a satisfying sweetness.
“How was it?”
“It was really good. Thanks for recommending it.”
“See? It’s the kind of taste that makes you forget bad things for a while, right?”
“Yeah… Wait, did you invite me here because I looked down?”
“Well, that’s part of it. But mostly, I just wanted to eat the café’s cake myself.”
Suzuha stuck out her tongue playfully and gave him a cute smile.
Seeing her like that, Toma felt a sense of relief.
He was glad he had spent time with her today and walked around the city together.
Deep down, he felt that way.
“So, what will you do about Asusa-san? But you know, by tomorrow, her mood might have changed. Maybe you should just talk to her then?”
“Y-Yeah… I’ll try that.”
It would be best to talk to Saori in person tomorrow.
Holding onto the hope that her mood might improve by then, he spent the rest of his time in the café with Suzuha.
“Thanks for today.”
“It’s no big deal. See you tomorrow.”
After finishing their time at the café, the two were now outside.
As they walked through the city, they reached the entrance of the shopping arcade, where they were about to part ways.
“Wait a second.”
“Hm?”
“We haven’t exchanged contact info yet, right?”
“Oh, right.”
“Since we’ll be hanging out more, let’s exchange now.”
Suzuha took out her phone from her school bag, prompting Toma to do the same from his uniform pocket.
“Suzuki Toma, right?”
As they exchanged contact details, his name appeared on her screen.
“Can I just call you Toma? You can call me by my first name too.”
“Then… Kamiya—no, Suzuha-san feels better, I think.”
“Either is fine, whatever’s easier for you.”
“Then… Suzuha-san it is.”
“Alright, Toma. See you tomorrow!”
After putting her phone back in her bag, Suzuha waved her hand and walked away.