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 5

During today’s P.E. class, Azusa Saori kept glancing at me.

She didn’t say anything, but it felt really awkward.

Now, it’s after school. Toma Suzuki is in the classroom, preparing to go home.

He carefully packs his assignments into his school backpack, making sure everything is in order.

There’s nothing left for him to do at school, so he should be able to head home smoothly.

Saori, who sits diagonally in front of him, finishes her preparations without looking in his direction and leaves the classroom.

During P.E., she seemed like she wanted to say something, but now, at the end of the day, she neither looks at him nor speaks to him.

A lingering thought remains in Toma’s mind—What was that all about?

“Toma! Let’s go home together!”

Just as he finishes packing, Suzuha Kamiya cheerfully calls out to him.

She swings her school bag over her shoulder and, without hesitation, grabs Toma’s wrist.

“Toma, you don’t have any unfinished assignments, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Then let’s go!”

And just like that, Toma is practically dragged out of the classroom by Suzuha.

“You can pick where we go today.”

“Where I want to go, huh?

Even when asked, nothing comes to mind right away.

As he switches into his outdoor shoes at the school entrance, he contemplates.

“Is it okay if it’s not a restaurant?”

A place flashes through his mind.

“Anywhere’s fine, as long as it’s a place you recommend.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it a recommendation, but I have somewhere in mind.”

There’s a place Toma occasionally visits.

He decides to take Suzuha there.

Whether she’ll enjoy it or not is another matter, but at the moment, it’s the only place that comes to mind.

Leaving school, the two head toward the city

The destination Toma has in mind is a bookstore located slightly outside the central area.

From the exterior, the building’s size is evident.

It’s a two-story structure with a reception counter on the first floor.

As they approach, the automatic doors slide open with a soft sound.

Inside, the bookstore is unexpectedly spacious, and a subtle anime song plays in the background, just loud enough not to disturb the customers.

But it’s not just an ordinary bookstore—it’s a modern facility equipped with various amenities.

It functions somewhat like a manga café, but with additional features such as rooms for writing novels and areas with computers.

For 1,000 yen per hour, customers can freely read books inside the store.

Certain food items are available, and depending on the plan, the 1,000 yen fee covers up to that amount in purchases.

“I didn’t know places like this existed. It’s kind of different from a manga café, right?”

“Yeah. Manga cafés require you to stay in private rooms, but here, everything is open. You can sit anywhere you like.”

“That’s pretty unique.”

After paying the entrance fee together, Suzuha looks around with curiosity.

“You can grab any book from the shelves and read it freely,” Toma explains.

“There’s quite a variety.”

She scans the shelves before picking up a book.

“Hey, isn’t this manga pretty old?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Do they have new releases?”

“Newer manga are available digitally. If you want the latest volumes, you’d have to use a computer here.”

“Oh, so this place mainly carries older books?”

“Pretty much. They do update the collection every six months, but unless a series is super popular, you won’t see it here right away.”

“I see. Digital books are the trend now, huh? But I prefer reading on paper.”

“I get that.”

Toma agrees with Suzuha’s preference.

“So, what are you going to read, Toma?”

“This one. I started it last time but didn’t get to finish.”

“What’s it about?”

Suzuha peers at the manga in his hands with curiosity.

“It’s a long-running series—over a hundred volumes. Buying them all would be tough, so I read long series like this here.”

“Over a hundred volumes!?”

She looks genuinely shocked.

“Yeah, I think it started about 25 years ago.”

“That’s before we were even born!”

“Exactly. The artwork still holds up well, though—it doesn’t feel outdated.”

“Let me see.”

Suzuha leans in to look at the open page.

“So, it’s an adventure manga?”

“Yeah. Have you heard of it?”

She tilts her head.

“Hmm… I kind of know about it? I just know it’s about a group going on adventures.”

She gives an awkward smile.

“It’s over a hundred volumes, but it’s not exactly mainstream. Not surprising if you haven’t heard much about it.”

The manga follows a story of collecting hidden treasures scattered across the world.

Only this year did it finally enter its final arc, and it’s set to expand in scale even more.

Rumor has it that it’ll continue for at least five more years, maybe even longer.

A series lasting 25 years is a huge commitment—even for the author.

Hopefully, it’ll finish within their lifetime.

“So, where are you in the story, Toma?”

“I just finished the first major arc.”

“You mean the beginning?”

Suzuha tilts her head.

“Yeah, I’ve only read up to about volume 15.”

“But there are over a hundred volumes, right? Can you really finish it?”

“I’m working on it. Want to read it too, Suzuha?”

“I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll try the digital version first. But for now, let’s just find a place to sit and read.”

“That area over there should be pretty empty.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Oh, do you want something to drink?”

“Maybe later.”

Chatting as they walk, they make their way to an open seating area.

Just as they are about to sit down, Toma’s eyes land on a familiar figure.

It’s a younger student from their school.

She sits alone, quietly reading a book.