The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Autumn for sports and for culture——That season has arrived.

In school where I’m treated as academically inferior, the sports festival is the only place where I can shine.

Even though I don’t get anything for winning, it still excites me.

Especially during my time in the track and field club where I was a sprinter, the sports festival events suited me well.

By the way, I remember a friend who was a long-distance runner complaining, ‘Just because we’re in track and field, everyone thinks we’re all fast, and it gets annoying.’ That’s track and field club for you.

I decided to participate in the 100m dash, obstacle race, class relay, and since there was extra time, the scavenger hunt.

On the day of the event, I did not toot my own horn, but I did pretty well.

While my physical abilities played a role, having Seko and Misa cheer for me may have been a big factor, I think.

My heart jumped when I saw Seko only watching and cheering for me.

——I felt like I could run forever.

After the race, people from the track and field club asked me to join, but I politely declined.

I didn’t want to waste precious time. I mean, I’ve found something more important than track right now.

Everything else went smoothly, and I kept finishing first, except for the scavenger hunt.

When I was the first to reach the spot where cards with the items to borrow were placed, I froze upon reading its content.

『Someone you like』

‘Someone you like’…someone I like!?

People who picked up cards after me started running one after another, but I stood still, unable to move.

Like… But it doesn’t specify what that means, nor does it say it has to be the opposite sex.

So, someone I like could mean a friend, right?

Then I can take Misa!

I started running towards my class’s cheering section.

Along the way, I caught sight of someone who had already reached the goal.

His theme seemed to be bringing a person too, and he seemed to be bringing someone’s parents.

It looks like the staff checks to see if the item you retrieved fits the given topic.

…Will they figure it out?

I slowed down as I reached the front of the cheering section and slowly walked… in front of Seko, who was sitting next to Misa.

I extended my hand, and although Seko had a puzzled look, he immediately took it.

We ran towards the goal together.

All the while, Seko kept asking, ‘What was your item?’ but I ignored him.

There’s no way I could tell him…

When I handed the card to the female student at the goal, she looked at us while grinning and said, ‘Yes, it’s okay. We’ll keep this topic confidential, so don’t worry.’

I was relieved, and I wondered if they did the same for others.

In the end, I finished last, but personally, I think that moment was the highlight of the sports festival for me——

***

After the sports festival, it was time for the cultural festival!

Our class decided to make a haunted house.

Misa, who is a member of the culture committee, suggested visiting a haunted house at a nearby amusement park, so the three of us ended up going there.

The small amusement park had free admission, charging only for individual attractions.

So, we didn’t end up wasting money on rides we didn’t want to try and only went to the haunted house.

But I was pretty satisfied with just that.

While Misa calmly took notes and led the way, I was quite scared.

I couldn’t stop shaking, and I even let out a loud scream.

Throughout it all, Seko stayed close to me.

Though he was looking ahead, it felt like his attention was on me, which made me happy.

We couldn’t go so far as to hold hands or get too close, though.

Thanks to our research, we high-schoolers managed to create a decent haunted house.

Seeing the finished product, our classmates and I couldn’t help but utter sounds of awe.

Then, the topic of who would play the test run came up.

Even though we created it, I absolutely refused to go.

I didn’t want to go through that terrifying experience again.

I would be okay if it was just Seko or Misa, but I didn’t want my other classmates to see me like that.

Interestingly, no one else volunteered either.

So, Misa, being on the cultural committee, had to go.

I thought her fellow committee member, Takahashi, would be chosen to accompany her, but——

“Seko-kun, should we go together?”

For some reason, Misa picked Seko.

Everyone found their interaction amusing, and they enthusiastically agreed, so in the end, the two of them participated in the test run.

As I waited for them to come out, I thought nothing would happen since Misa seemed to be unfazed by haunted houses.

But when they emerged, they were closer than I had expected.

At that moment, I felt as if something dark had draped over my heart.

***

The cultural festival was a success, receiving excellent reviews even among our grades.

What struck me was that Seko seemed happier about it than Misa.

All the enjoyable school events for this academic year are now over.

As I returned to my usual routine of enduring the boring classes, Misa called me out one Saturday.

She said she wanted to talk, just the two of us.

We met at a nationwide chain café in front of the station I use every day.

Since I don’t drink coffee or tea, I don’t visit often, so I entered with a bit of nervousness.

Misa was already there, so I sat down at her table.

Lately, Misa seemed to have become even more beautiful.

Somehow, she seemed more alluring?

Apparently, even upperclassmen were approaching her.

High school is a time of significant growth, but what about me?

Have I changed at all?

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been waiting for long?”

“No, I just got here. Sorry for calling you out so suddenly.”

“It’s fine-it’s fine! It’s rare for Misa to ask me for a favor.”

Actually, this is the first time Misa has ever asked for my advice.

Obviously, this is a job for me, her best friend!

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“…Well, it’s about Seko-kun.”

Seko’s name came up and my heart skipped a beat.

So, the reason Misa and I gathered alone today was to discuss something about Seko?

But what could Misa want to discuss about Seko?

Has she finally grown tired of his endless confessions?

But that would be too late, wouldn’t it?

Then what could it be…

“Seko-kun always says he likes me, right?”

Ah, so it really is about that. Has she finally run out of patience?

“Yeah, I do wonder how he keeps it up. And you’re really patient too, Misa.”

“Patient? I’m not particularly bothered by it. Actually, he always points out and says nice things about me, and it’s always something different every time.”

“Hmm? Ah, yeah, he does. I got the impression he only praises your looks.”

“About that, that’s because he recently found my looks attractive. In fact, he wasn’t actually attracted to my looks at first. Maybe he’s run out of things to say about my appearance, because lately, he’s been complimenting what’s inside of me too, Fufu.”

“Really? That’s interesting.”

Misa is aware of her good looks, so I don’t find her comment about her “my looks attractive” was weird.

What puzzles me is how she knows that Seko wasn’t initially attracted to her looks.

“I’ve never really understood love. I’ve never even liked anyone, not even myself…I thought that if I couldn’t like myself, there was no way I could like someone else. That’s why I didn’t mind Seko-kun’s confessions, but I still felt guilty for not being able to accept them. The thing is, Seko-kun taught me so many things about my own appeal that I’ve slowly started to like myself——”

…What?

Misa didn’t like herself, so she couldn’t like anyone else…but now she’s starting to like herself.

That means——

I don’t want to hear this——

“So, you see…”

I don’t want to hear it——

“Next time, I think I might…”

I don’t want to hear the rest——

“…I think I might be able to fall in love with Seko-kun.”

——I don’t want to hear it!

“I don’t think it would be right to answer his feelings with half-hearted emotions. So, even though I know it’s unfair to him, I’m thinking of accepting his next ‘going out with me’ only when I can truly face my own feelings.”

“…I…see…”

“Yes. I wanted to let you, my best friend Haru, know about this decision. I’m sorry, it wasn’t really a consultation, more like a declaration of sorts.”

The girl in front of me had a sparkling expression on her face.

It was dazzling, as if she was on the verge of grasping future happiness, and it made me incredibly jealous…

What kind of expression do I have on my face right now?

Sometimes I thought, if only——if only the two of them didn’t get together, maybe I could be the one.

But I never acted on those thoughts.

I thought it would be nice if the three of us could just continue to get along like this.

No, that’s just an excuse. In the end, I was just lacking confidence and ran away.

Seko has been fighting all this time.

Misa is also facing her own feelings.

Then, what about me?

What can I do to find happiness in this situation? Is it too late?

…No. I don’t want to give up. I don’t want to lose that radiance.

I don’t want to give it to anyone else.

Something dark starts to seep into my heart.

——I chose not to resist it and to follow my own desires instead.

***

Next Monday, I faked an illness and skipped school.

All of this is to get him, to get Seko.

——Even if it’s just for a moment, even if it’s a twisted relationship, I don’t mind.

Whatever it takes, I just want to be by his side.

“Instead of Misa, I can be the one to relieve everything inside of you, Seko——”