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 7
“Toma and Saori…?”
Suzuki Tma had just arrived home when his younger sister, Emi, a third-year middle school student, asked him a question that left him at a loss for words. He hesitated, wondering how best to explain.
“What happened? How are things with Saori?”
“Well… it’s complicated.”
Toma avoided giving a direct answer as he opened the front door and motioned for his sister to come inside.
“Complicated how?”
As soon as they stepped into the entrance hall, Emi tilted her head, observing Toma’s expression.
“Complicated as in… we broke up. To put it simply.”
“You broke up? But you two were dating, right?”
Emi was visibly shocked. Her face showed disbelief.
“Yeah, that’s how it is.”
“But just recently, you two seemed to be getting along fine. You’ve been together since childhood.”
“Yeah, but then, out of nowhere, she dumped me.”
“Why? Did you do something bad, Onii-chan?”
“No, I don’t think so. Probably not.”
Toma waved his hands defensively, emphasizing his denial.
“Saori hardly ever gets mad, right?”
“Yeah, exactly. I can’t recall a time when she really got angry. Maybe she was just too patient all along.”
Saori was human too—of course, she must have had things she disliked. Maybe she’d been harboring frustrations all this time. Maybe she started dating someone else because of something Toma did, even if he wasn’t aware of it.
“So what are you going to do now, Onii-chan?”
Emi asked as they stood at the entrance.
“What can I do? There’s no fixing things with Saori, so I’ll just keep my distance from her.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“It’s not like I have a choice. If Saori’s feelings won’t change, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Hmm… I really liked Saori-san, though.”
“Saori and I are just from different worlds. Her family’s rich, after all.”
Saori Azusa’s parents were wealthy—she came from a high-society background.
Despite growing up in a rich household, Saori had a down-to-earth mindset. Even when they played together as kids, she always suggested activities that didn’t require money.
Maybe she had been making an effort to match Toma’s way of life all along, but even so, she was always considerate.
For her to suddenly change like this—it felt strange.
Could there be a reason?
Toma folded his arms and closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Saori had mentioned she was worried about the future.
Maybe the real issue was that Toma had nothing special going for him. That was probably the biggest problem.
If that was the reason she changed, then he had to change himself too.
But how exactly should he change?
That was the real question.
“Onii-chan, stop standing around in the entrance. Let’s go to the living room.”
“Ah, right. Give me a sec.”
Emi had already taken off her shoes and was heading toward the living room.
“Onii-chan, are you really okay with things staying like this between you and Saori-san?”
As soon as they reached the living room, Emi, now sitting on the sofa, threw another question at him.
“I mean, I don’t think it’s ideal, but given the situation, there’s nothing else I can do.”
Toma stood in front of the sofa, contemplating his response.
“But if you keep acting like that, someone else is going to take her away for good.”
“She already started dating someone else, though.”
“Wait, seriously?”
Emi’s expression changed to one of alarm.
“Yeah, she told me straight up that she’s with someone new. And then she broke up with me.”
“Then doesn’t that mean the problem is with you, Onii-chan?”
“Uh… maybe.”
“Do you have any idea what went wrong?”
“If I had to guess, it’s about my future. I don’t have any real strengths or a clear direction in life.”
“Yeah… Onii-chan, you do seem like a pretty average guy.”
Emi agreed with his statement without hesitation.
Her blunt honesty hit him harder than he expected.
It stung a little—he had hoped for at least some words of support from his sister. But if even she thought he was unremarkable, that meant he really had a problem.
“In your opinion, what should I do, Emi?”
“Hmm… let me think…”
Emi remained seated, deep in thought. She seemed to be seriously considering his question.
“How about changing up your fashion first?”
She suddenly perked up as if struck by an idea, her eyes scanning Toma’s entire outfit.
“My fashion?”
Toma glanced down at himself.
His usual outfits consisted of T-shirts with random English phrases or bizarre designs—nothing particularly stylish.
“Onii-chan, you always wear the same kind of clothes, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s comfortable. I feel at ease in familiar outfits.”
He only bought new clothes about twice a year and never put much thought into fashion.
“I think that’s the problem! Instead of prioritizing comfort, you should try stepping out of your comfort zone a little.”
His younger sister called him out directly.
She didn’t hold back, hitting him with the truth.
It was both helpful and painful to hear.
“Onii-chan, I think you’re at a point where you need to change!”
“Yeah… you’re probably right.”
With Emi’s words sinking in, Toma stood near the sofa, lost in thought about his wardrobe. He had to admit—she had a point.
“Onii-chan! Let’s go shopping for clothes together sometime!”
“Shopping? But…”
Toma hesitated.
“Come on! I need to buy some things too. Plus, summer’s coming soon—it’s the perfect time for a wardrobe update!”
Emi stood up from the sofa, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She was clearly eager to go shopping.
Touma had to admit, his fashion sense was lacking.
Maybe now was the perfect time for a change.
It had also been a while since he and his sister went out together. This could be a good chance to refresh his mindset.
Plus, Emi was in the middle of preparing for high school entrance exams. This shopping trip might be a nice break for her too.
“I wonder what kind of clothes would suit Onii-chan…”
Emi put on a serious expression as she pondered the question.
Seeing her put so much thought into it, Toma felt grateful to have such a caring sister.