I Went Back to Being a High School Student Again, but I Was Rejected by My Childhood Friend, Whom I Thought Was In Love With Me, So I tried to Suicide With the Most Beautiful Girl In the School. - Chapter 7

Volume 2: Fireworks

Story of The Past and the Future

“I’ve always loved you… Akira.”

　I was dreaming now.

　I’m back to the past before my accident.

　At a reunion with my high school classmates, I’m talking to Koyoi, who’s grown up and more beautiful than ever.

“But you know, Akira doesn’t notice my feelings at all.”

　Koyoi says with a lonely look on her face.

“I liked you too, Koyoi.”

“I guess we were in love with each other.”

　Koyoi muttered and looked down at her hand.

　Looking at the thin and graceful ring finger of her left hand, I finally realized that it was too late for me to tell her how I felt.

　In Koyoi’s mind, her feelings for me must have already become a memory of her youth.

　But what about me?

　My feelings for her――this deep, dark, sinking, heart-wrenching feeling…

　Is it really just a [Sweet and sour memory of my youth] that has faded away?

　There was silence between Koyoi and me now.

　Perhaps because of this, the voices of my former classmates around me, who were talking about their memories cheerfully, reached my ears with a vividness that I didn’t like.

“――Anyway, Towa can’t come today, right? “

“Hey, don’t you know? She was arrested for fraud and theft, now she’s in jail.”

“Huh, seriously?! Really? Shocking…isn’t it? I knew she’d do it someday. She was an idiot, that girl.”

“Don’t comment like you’re doing an interview! Speaking of shock, do you remember Atsuta-san from our school? “

“Let’s see… his name was Kunio, wasn’t it? What, he got caught too? “

“That Kunio-kun… He got married a while ago, to a girl one year younger than us, who was the vice-captain of the female ballet team at that time. He’s been dating her since she was a freshman, and people don’t know about it.”

“Huh, seriously?! Really? No, Kunio was popular because he was young and good-looking, but… was he a lolicon?”

“I think it’s different from a simple lolicon because it’s a pure love that ended in marriage, but it’s also shocking, isn’t it?”

“Do you have any other stories like that? “

“Other than that, umm…”

　Distracted from the noise, I look at Koyoi.

　Even if it is too late for everything.

　I didn’t want to end this conversation with Koyoi.

“…is Koyoi happy now? “

　I ask her, looking away from her left hand.

“Yes, I am happy.”

　Koyoi answered my question immediately.

　Her expression was a little sad… but more than that, she looked really happy.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that…I know it sounds irresponsible, but I want Koyoi to be happy.”

　Despite my word, I had a dark sense of inferiority in my heart.

　If possible, I wanted to have a relationship with Koyoi so that we could share happiness with each other…

“Thank you… Akira, you should be happy, too, okay? “

　Koyoi said softly, narrowing her eyes.

　Then she patted my head, ruffled my hair, and got up from her seat.

　I couldn’t speak to her as she stood and left.

　Looking back, I think I already knew that this would be the last time I would exchange words with Koyoi.

　I sipped my highball, which had lost its carbonation; the ice had melted and was now completely diluted.

[ If you could go back to that time in high school. What would you do? ]

　Suddenly, Koyoi from high school appears in front of me and asks this question.

　I am surprised, but… if this is a dream. There is nothing strange about it.

“I’ll tell Koyoi that I’ve always loved her.”

　I smile and tell Koyoi, a high school student, that I’ve always loved her.

[ I see… ]

　Koyoi looks at me with a melancholy look in her eyes and murmurs,

[But, sorry.]

　Then Koyoi’s expression changes abruptly and she gives me a sneer.

　Then, with a silly grin on her face, she said.

[Do you like me? I don’t get it. Why would I date you?]

　Beep- Beep- Beep- BEEP- BEEP BEEP-!

　The noisy sound reached my ears, and I was half forced to wake up.

　Then I operate the alarm clock on my bedside table and turn off the alarm.

　Normally I would find the sound repulsive in a good night’s sleep, but today I think I’m saved.

“What a nightmare… “

　I sigh heavily and mutter to myself, remembering the dream I just had.

　Now that I’m reborn, I still have those nightmares…

　I was able to confess my feelings to Koyoi by time leaping back to the past world.

　And I was able to end my [Cursed] feelings for Koyoi.

　――In return, I have to live this second life.

　I don’t think this is… worth it.

　If I had continued to live in that kind of world, I would have been stuck in a rut until the day I died. ――It would have been too worthless of a life.

　…It is ironic that now that the rut is gone, I have lost even the meaning of life.

　However, it is a relief that the end is in sight in this second round of my life.

　――Natsuki Mirai.

　She was already dead in the future world, and now I promised her that we would die together in this world.

　Even though I could not die alone, I would be able to die together with her.

　I remembered the reunion whether Natsuki was mentioned or no.

　Nearly 10 years have changed people in more or less different ways.

　But even if we have changed in appearance and inside, our memories remain the same and never fade away.

　Therefore.

　Natsuki, who never formed friendships with anyone, who never shared her memories with anyone…

　It’s obvious no one talks about her.

　So at least, I think.

　――In this world, it would be nice if someone would talk stories about us who were heartbroken later.