The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Lately, it feels like I spend most of my weekends going out.

I’m not the outdoorsy type, so playing outside doesn’t really count as rest for me, but I can’t help but go when it comes to dates with my girlfriends.

After finishing my usual routine, I leave the house and head to the nearest station.

Sure enough, Misa was already there.

“Good morning, Misa. You’ve beaten me to it again, huh?”

“Good morning, Rento-kun. If I come first, then we can be together from the moment you arrive at the station, right?”

“Ugh… Are you teasing me again?”

“Fufu. I’m just saying how I truly feel.”

“That makes it even more embarrassing.”

“Just this much is fine. After all, you’ve been praising me in public for a whole year.”

“I have no comeback to that.”

When I raised the white flag, Misa giggled and reached out her right hand.

“Then let’s go.”

“…Right.”

I grasped her right hand with my left and intertwined our fingers, holding hands.

“Today is the only time I can be with you like this. That’s why I want to cherish this time. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. For that reason, I can keep waiting for you here no matter how hot or cold it is.”

Saying that with a bewitching smile, she started walking forward.

Dazzled by her smile, I momentarily lose myself before regaining my composure and stepping forward to follow her.

We went through the ticket gate and headed for the platform, boarding the train that arrived.

The humid outside air changes drastically as we enter the air-conditioned space of the train, and my body temperature drops quickly.

However, the palm of my left hand remains warm, still holding hers.

“Where are we going today?”

“We’re heading to a dog cafe. Haru has been wanting to go there for a while. Don’t you remember, Rento-kun?”

“Sorry, I completely forgot. Let’s blame it on this heat.”

“Fufu. It’s only late June, what are you talking about? At this rate, I’m worried about how you’ll handle the summer.”

“I need to build up my stamina.”

“Maybe it’s more of a brain issue?”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“I’m not talking about academic ability right now.”

“That sounds like a roundabout way of criticizing my academic performance.”

“Well, I do want us to go to the same university. For that, I need you to try a little harder, Rento-kun.”

“…Yes.”

I’m certainly not at the bottom of the rankings in school, but when compared to Misa, I’m nothing.

After all, Misa is aiming for one of the top universities in the country, and she’s already scoring A grades in the mock exams.

Even if our relationship continues, we will eventually no longer be high school students.

That means there’s a possibility that we, who have been going to the same place as if it were natural, will be scattered.

Of course, I have the desire for the three of us to go to the same university, but it’s tough to match Misa’s academic abilities.

Especially Haru… yeah.

But that doesn’t mean we can ask Misa to lower her choice of university, so we need to work hard to achieve that.

“Maybe we should hold a study session next time. Especially for Hinata, who needs thorough teaching.”

“…That’s true. In that case, maybe I should devote myself to teaching Rento-kun.”

“Please be gentle.”

“Fufu. That depends on you, Rento-kun. But if you make such cute reactions when teased… I might not be able to control myself.”

“Hey, hey, stop that weird interest.”

Just as I was starting to feel a bit scared about the upcoming study session, the train I was on came to a stop, and the doors in front of me opened.

At that moment, Misa let go of my hand.

Beyond the opened door, Haru lights up with a bright smile upon seeing our faces.

“Good morning, Seko! Misa!”

Then, she stands next to me, on the opposite side from Misa.

The distance between us is noticeably closer than when we are usually at school.

Yes, today is a holiday. It’s Haru’s day.

***

“So cuuuuute!”

Haru lets out a cry of joy after seeing a small dog trotting towards us.

As planned, we had arrived at a place known as a dog cafe.

It was a bit far from our local area, so we didn’t really feel like going.

But considering our relationship now, the distance seemed conveniently good.

The dogs here are apparently mostly rescue dogs, so the breeds are all mixed.

There are some well-known breeds like dachshunds and poodles, which even I can recognize, and then there are some that even Haru, who is admittedly a huge dog lover, can’t identify.

They’re probably mixed breeds, Misa said.

The cafe isn’t like the familiar coffee shop with the usual shopkeeper we’ve started to frequent.

Upon entering, we paid an admission fee and were given a plastic bottle.

This seemed to be the cafe element.

According to Misa, it’s easier to get a business license as a food establishment.

Yeah, ‘Misa-pedia’ is amazing.

With that, we took our plastic bottles and headed towards a space that felt like a living room at home.

Then, three lively dogs approached us, and Haru let out a high-pitched squeal.

“Ehe, ehehehehehe. So cute. Come here, come here~. I’m Haru~ What are your names~?”

“Kuromame, Shiroko, Chataro.” (TN: black, white, brown)

“Pout Ren. Those names are just like their fur colors.”

“No, it says so right over there.”

“Eh… Ah, it’s true.”

“How straightforward their names are…”

“Eh, but it’s kind of cute! Nice to meet you Kuro, Shiro, Charo.”

“You’ve already given them nicknames, huh…”

“It’s gotten even more blatantly obvious, hasn’t it?”

Can you believe it?

The straightforward names have been made even simpler by Haru.

Was it such a luxurious name that it needed to be shortened that much?

Unconcerned with the exchange between me and Misa, Haru is totally smitten with the puppies in front of her.

“Kuro is so calm, but I can tell he keeps glancing over here like he really wants some affection, which is so cute! Charo is spinning around so energetically! Be careful not to get dizzy, okay? And Shiro is… what’s wrong? You’re just staring at me…”

“Maybe Shiro is put off by Haru’s excessive excitement.”

“Misa!? No, no, that’s not it… right, Shiro… ah!”

Haru, who was slightly disheartened by Misa’s comment, was soon comforted by Shiro who came over to Haru’s side.

Then, Shiro licked the left hand that Haru had hanging down.

“Shiro, are you trying to comfort me…? I’m taking this little one home with me!”

“Hinata’s dad is allergic to dogs, remember? That’s why you were lamenting that you couldn’t keep one before.”

“Ugh, that’s right… But, Ren! Call me by my first name today, I don’t want to be called by my last name.”

“Sorry, Haru. I just ended up calling you like that unconsciously.”

“Geez. Ren is so mean, right, Shiro?”

When Haru sought agreement from Shiro, it seemed that the dog couldn’t understand the meaning and just tilted its head.

But that gesture managed to capture Haru’s heart once again, and she began to pet Shiro so much that Shiro’s fur got messed up.

Seeing Haru happy, I thought it was good that we came here.

Then the remaining Kuro and Charo slowly approached me.

The two of them stared intently at my face for a moment, then suddenly leaped at me with force.

“Whoa!”

Even though they were small, the two of them coming at me at once caused me to fall backward as I crouched down to catch them.

Then Kuro started licking my face, and Charo pushed up my hand with his nose as if asking to be petted.

“R-Rento-kun. Are you okay?”

“I’m totally fine. It seems they just want to be pampered.”

Responding to Misa, who was worried about me, I accepted Kuro’s passionate kiss and stroked Charo under the chin when Haru, holding Shiro, approached us.

“Ren, you’re really popular!”

“It’s nice to be liked, but I can’t do anything like this.”

“Ahaha, that’s true. Well, for now, I’ll peel Kuro off you. Sorry, Shiro.”

Haru put Shiro down on the floor and lifted Kuro with her free hand.

Thanks to her, I was able to escape from Kuro’s licking hell and sat up again.

Then Charo, who had been petted by me just before, climbed onto my lap.

“Ah, wait a moment!”

When I turned around in response to the voice, Kuro had wriggled out of Haru’s arms and came over to my side, pressing his body tightly against me.

“These kids really do take a liking to you, Rento-kun.”

“It seems so.”

I’ve never been barked at by dogs before, but I’ve also never been this well-like, so I can’t help but feel a bit of happiness that makes me smile slighly.

Then Haru, still grinning and holding Shiro, sat down next to me.

“You look happy, Ren.”

Then Haru, still grinning and holding Shiro, sat down next to me.

“…I like you too, Ren. Are you happy?”

“…These kids are adorable, so it’s hard to choose a favorite between them”

“Ah, come on, don’t be so shy and answer me! …Ehehe. I love you, Ren! Being together like this, it feels like we and these kids are a family.”

Haru said this and snuggled closer to me.

I felt as if the space around us was cut out from the outside world, but the piercing gaze from behind me quickly brought me back to reality.