Chapter 10

The sports festival ended without a hitch, and Yukiyo and I were invited to a post-event party organized by our classmates, taking a detour through the lotus pond.

The meeting place is a karaoke box near the station.

I've never been invited to or participated in such gatherings before, so I was unsure what to do. However, Yukiyo said, "I want to go with you," and the classmates were shouting, "What are we supposed to do without the main characters?" So, I decided to at least show up.

Somehow, it ended up that Yukiyo and I would go to the karaoke together.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I've been alone with a girl, except for fireworks.

"Kazusa-kun, after changing in the locker room, should we go to the classroom?"

"Yeah. The entrance is fine too, but, oh, we need to pick up our bags anyway. Let's go to the classroom then."

After moving the chairs we used to the equipment storage, we were discussing the plan when a familiar voice came from the path leading to the field.

"---Why did you call me here?"

"Sorry, Hanabi. I didn't seem to be in my best condition today."

Hanabi and Kiriya were walking towards us, and there was a somewhat uneasy atmosphere between them.

I didn't want to run into Hanabi.

Worse still, the other classmates had already left, leaving only Yukiyo and me. As a result, there was no way to blend in with a crowd and avoid the situation.

"Yukiyo, over here...!"

Thinking that, I grabbed Yukiyo's hand and crouched down in the shade of a tree.

"...Kazusa-kun...?"

"Sorry. I didn't want to see her."

"Oh, r-right. After the relay, it must be awkward."

It seems Yukiyo misunderstood that I didn't want to meet Kiriya.

"I really wanted to show Hanabi a better side of me. Well, there's the Inter-High prelims next—"

"Next? What do you mean by next?"

"Huh?"

Hanabi and Kiriya stopped right in front of the tree where we were hiding. Now, we had no choice but to stay hidden until they left.

"Why do you think you'll be given another chance? That's so presumptuous."

"H-Hanabi?"

"Don't call me so familiarly. The 'pretend boyfriend' act is over."

"Pretend! I'm your boyfriend, right!?"

"Huh? When did anyone say that?"

"B-But... You said you wanted to walk to and from school with me every morning, and you even clung to my arm!"

"Ha ha! You seriously thought that was enough to assume? How disappointing your brain must be. All the nutrients must have gone to your muscles. And then you showed such an ugly face. Someone as worthless as you could never be my boyfriend. ---There's only one person I'll ever make my boyfriend."

"Huh... What do you mean?"

"That's none of your business."

"Anyway, I'll fix my flaws! Please reconsider! I broke up with my girlfriend for you! And I even changed my hairstyle to one you like...!"

"Here we go. You're acting like you did me a favor by doing something I never asked for. Not only are you useless, but you're also showing your ugly side. Spare me."

"That's... so cruel..."

"Being unable to even be a stand-in is truly disappointing. Well, goodbye."

Leaving Kiriya, who had slumped to the ground, behind, Hanabi walked away in the opposite direction from where we were hiding. Kiriya sat there for a while, then got up shakily and walked away with a soulless expression.

"It's a love triangle..."

Yukiyo said, as if struggling to find the right words. The expression "love triangle" was so amusing that I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Indeed, a high school love triangle like that is quite something."

"Compared to that, my high school life is pretty normal."

"That's a good thing."

"Maybe... Living a healthy life and having a healthy relationship."

"Health is important."

"Very important, very important."

Yukiyo and I exchanged these words and chuckled together, as if to dispel the dark and gloomy atmosphere left by Hanabi and Kiriya.

I wrote this story about my childhood friend getting what she deserved. If there's demand, I'll update daily!

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