The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 117

Chapter 117

We have reached today’s closing ceremony after three days of final exams, interspersed with a few regular school days.

During this time, Misa and Haru continued what could be called a cold war.

Although the two had argued before, this was the first time their quarrel had lasted so long.

I tried to mediate and get them to make up, but neither was willing to back down from their stance, and there was no sign of their relationship improving.

In the end, it seems Haru chose the science track for her future course and submitted it, also apparently selecting physics as her elective.

As a result, we lost the best chance for the two of them to reconcile.

After today’s closing ceremony, we’ll finally be on summer vacation. We’ll probably be together all summer long.

So I can only hope that they make up soon.

“Well then, don’t go too wild and cause any trouble. And if you do, solve it yourselves. I won’t be involved. Alright, dismissed.”

With that command from Matsui-sensei, our first semester came to an end.

Among the classmates filing out of the classroom, Misa and Haru came up to my desk.

Even in a state of cold war, the three of us stayed together.

However, there was no conversation between the two of them.

“Rento-kun, let’s go home.”

“Seko. Let’s head back.”

In this way, the remarks of the two were always directed at me.

Only at me.

It felt painfully like a reflection of our current relationship.

Leaving the school with the two of them, we started on our way home.

But it felt more like I was going back with each of them separately rather than all three of us together.

“Rento-kun, how did your final exam results turn out?”

“I barely avoided failing. Well, I can’t really say it was good though.”

“I see. It’s good that you don’t have to attend supplementary lessons, but you need to make sure you can score well on regular exams too.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Seko, you were called by Matsui-sensei earlier, right? What did she say?”

“Ah… that. She basically said that out of everyone, I’m the most likely to screw something up, so I should be especially careful.”

“…That’s… I think it’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s because of my behavior. Hinata, you don’t need to worry about it.”

On the way home, the two of them continued to talk only to me.

Then we reached the usual crossroads, where I would normally part ways with them.

But today, I keep going straight without stopping.

“Rento-kun?”

“Seko?”

They call my name with a puzzled tone.

We can’t continue like this.

Summer vacation starts tomorrow. Things are different from before, and we can’t just carry on with the current situation.

That’s why——

“Let’s talk. About the future. About us.”

***

Since then, we’ve been coming to our usual café.

Perhaps sensing the unusual atmosphere from us, the shopkeeper immediately made the café private for us.

It’s probably for his own enjoyment, but for once I was grateful.

As I approach the table, I find myself unable to move.

“Rento-kun will be next to me since we had school today.”

Misa said that while grabbing my right arm.

“It’s already summer break, right? That means we’re on holiday? Then Ren should be sitting next to me.”

Haru also insisted while grabbing my left arm.

“…Why don’t you two sit next to each other today? I’ll sit by myself.”

When I suggested that, the two of them glanced at each other for a moment,

“I don’t like that.”

“No way.”

They expressed their refusal.

As a result, the three of us ended up sitting on a single sofa.

In other words, the two of them were sitting on either side of me. Just like when we came with Koido.

“So, Rento-kun. What are we going to talk about now?”

“You said something about the future? What do you mean?”

Being questioned by the two of them, I thought about what to talk about first.

“…First of all, um, it’s about the fight between you two…”

“We’re not fighting. It’s just that Haru is being stubborn.”

“It’s not a fight, it’s just Misa being mean to me.”

While thinking to myself that this is what people call a fight, I started to talk about what I really heard from Matsui-sensei earlier.

“About the choice of subject, it seems that it’s okay to change them right after the summer break. So, it’s possible to switch to biology if you want──”

“I won’t change it. I’m sticking with physics.”

“Haru”

“Why would you say something like that? Ren, don’t you want to be in the same class as me?”

“Of course I want to be in the same class. But after seeing Haru’s biology grades… I thought you’d be better off in that class.”

“…No! I absolutely won’t change it! Even now, while at school, I always feel like Ren is far away even though you’re near me all the time!? I can’t stand the thought of not being able to be together…”

With a voice that sounded as if she might start crying at any moment, Haru said this and clung tightly to my arm.

I understand her feelings very well, and they resonate with me. But I can’t help thinking that this isn’t the right choice for her future.

“You don’t have to decide right now. Just think of it as if the deadline for the answer has been extended, and consider it a little.”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Please”

“…Ren, do you like me? You’re not trying to push me away or anything, are you?”

“No, I’m not. I really do like you, Haru.”

“…Ehehe”

Haru cheerfully rubs her cheek against my arm.

Meanwhile, Misa is glaring at me with a sulky expression.

“Rento-kun. How cheeky of you to ignore me like this.”

“I wasn’t really ignoring you.”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Being unconsciously so makes it worse. Come on, you have something to say to me, right?”

“…I like you too, Misa.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“…You look beautiful today.”

“It’s the same as before, but I’ll forgive you. Fufu. Rento-kun, I like you very much too.”

Misa smiled and gently pressed her cheek against my arm.

“…Ugh.”

It sounded like a grudge was about to come from the other side, so I quickly brought up the next topic.

“What I want to talk about next is; how do you two plan to spend the summer vacation?”

“Well, personally, I want to meet with Rento-kun every day.”

“I’ll see Ren every day. It doesn’t matter where we go, I just want to be with Ren.”

…Well, I thought it would come to this, but I decided to bring up something that had been on my mind.

“I think there were rules set between the two of you, but what happens during the summer vacation?”

“Half and half should be fine, shouldn’t it? Let’s alternate every day.”

“Wait. Since I had fewer days up until now, you should increase my days during the summer vacation.”

“If we start compensating like that, then we’ll have to keep making adjustments every time. That’s impossible, so rejected.”

“That’s not fair! You just want to keep having more lovey-dovey time with Ren, Misa!”

“Say whatever you want. Besides, didn’t you meet up with Rento-kun alone at night despite it being a weekday?”

“…I didn’t meet him.”

“Don’t lie. I knew Rento-kun was outside in the middle of the night that day.”

“W-Why do you know such a thing, Misa?”

“Because when I called, Rento-kun was outside. Plus, I met him that day too.”

“B-But Misa, you met him too!”

“That’s fine for me. Because that day was my day.”

“…That’s cheating. It’s just not fair.”

“I’m only acting according to the rules. The one who cheated is Haru.”

“…Don’t say that. I know what’s going on. On holidays, Misa flirts with Ren before and after meeting up with me at my station.”

“It can’t be helped. Ren and I use the same station, and Haru uses a different one.”

“That’s no excuse! In the first place, the reason I can’t act spoiled around Ren at school is because Misa lied! Misa is the real cheater here!”

“Well, yes. But now that we’re actually dating, it’s not strange, is it?”

“It’s strange… It’s really strange!”

Caught between the two of them, their argument escalates, and it seems there’s no sign of it calming down.

Eventually, I feel like there’s no right answer to this discussion.

Even if we split the share fifty-fifty, Haru would still be dissatisfied because of the previous arrangement.

If we consider adjusting the schedule to compensate for that, we still face the fact that summer vacation is special and filled with events.

If Haru gets priority during that period, then Misa will end up feeling dissatisfied.

Then the idea of abolishing one person’s day and trying to get along all three of us during the summer vacation fleetingly crossed my mind, but if that were a viable solution, we wouldn’t be in this situation.

Plus, it doesn’t resolve Haru’s dissatisfaction.

“Hey, Ren, what do you think?”

“What are your thoughts, Rento-kun?”

“Ah”

Suddenly, the focus was on me, but I hadn’t settled on any thoughts yet, so I just voiced what I hoped for.

“Li-like, to begin with, isn’t it okay not to meet every day? Sometimes I want to spend time with family or, you know, other friends…”

“Ren doesn’t want to see me every day?”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

“…I wonder if there’s someone else Rento-kun wants to see more than us.”

With Misa’s remark, the atmosphere around us completely changed.

The points of contention that had been between the two of them were now directed at me.

“…Ren, is that true?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. It’s not like there’s someone else I want to see.”

“Really? Rento-kun, we won’t get mad, so please speak honestly.”

“I have nothing to hide… I’ve always intended to be honest.”

“Ran”

“…huh?”

I am shocked and freeze at the mention of that name from Misa’s mouth.

——I suddenly feel my heartbeat quicken.

“That reaction, it’s suspicious after all.”

“M-Misa. You said we shouldn’t ask Ren about that.”

“I want to clear things up now. Isn’t it okay? Since Rento-kun is mine, I want to know everything about him.”

“…Why do both of you know that name?”

“…That day, when Ren protected me from Arahira-senpai and our relationship was discovered by Misa… When Ren collapsed, you were calling out that name.”

Come to think of it, I remember being asked about it by Mom when I woke up in the hospital.

When I said I didn’t remember, she said that it was fine, and I wondered why she asked then.

So that’s what it was about.

“…I see. Did I say anything else?”

“Yeah. At that time, Rento-kun was──”

Just as Misa was about to answer my question, a figure emerged from the back of the café and started heading towards us.

The person wasn’t the shopkeeper of the café, but rather, she was clad in our high school’s uniform.

Then she stood next to me, showing her usual somewhat cheeky smile.

“——Hello there, senpai. Could you step outside for a bit? We’re about to have a girls’ talk!”