The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I take a sip of the shopkeeper’s signature coffee.

The aroma of roasted beans that I could smell even before taking a sip, combined with the bitterness spreading in my mouth, makes for a cup that offers a rich, flavorful experience.

It’s delicious.

The fact that I’m mentally composing this amateur coffee review might be a form of escapism.

Right now, I’m in a situation where I must talk about love in front of the girl I have feelings for and her cousin…

Placing the coffee cup back on the table and slowly raising my face, my eyes meet Saki-chan’s sparkling ones and Yosaki’s slightly flushed but expectant gaze.

I can’t help but give a bitter smile. It seems bitterness isn’t exclusive to coffee.

Noisy.

“Everyone has their own views on love, and I don’t think there’s a ‘correct’ answer to follow…”

“That’s fine. We want to hear about Rento-san’s perspective on love! Right, Onee-chan?”

“Yes. Precisely because everyone is different, it’s meaningful to learn about viewpoints we don’t personally have.”

“Is that so…”

Realizing there’s no way out of this, I brace myself, take a deep breath, and begin sharing my views on love.

“Well, when you’re in love…when you start loving someone, in the end, it’s just an expression of wanting to be by that person’s side.”

“I like spending time with Rento-san and Onee-chan, and I hope these moments could continue. Is this also love?”

“That might be a form of affection or familial love. Spending time with friends can be fun too.”

Saki-chan is so sly to mention my name first. It made me a little happy.

“How do you differentiate between the two?”

“That’s a difficult question. I don’t think you can clearly distinguish them. Someone you thought was just a friend until yesterday could become a romantic interest before you even realize it.”

“…I see, so that’s how it is.”

I thought Yosaki’s expression darkened for a moment, but it was probably just my imagination because it returned to normal in the next moment.

“I think it’s also about wanting to be there to support the other person, no matter what situation they’re in.”

“Oh? So, Seko-kun would come to help me if I’m in a difficult situation?”

“I can’t picture Onee-chan being in a pinch…”

“For Yosaki… it might be a bit different. It’s not that I don’t want to support you, but if you ask whether that’s the main thing, I don’t think it is.”

“What…?”

With a voice full of confusion, Yosaki’s expression clouded over.

This time, it wasn’t my imagination.

“For me…Yosaki feels more like someone I admire. Like, I want to become someone like you. I guess that’s how it turned into love.”

“Hmm, but isn’t that different from what you said earlier, Rento-san?”

“That’s why I said there’s no such thing as a correct answer. There’s no logic to it. You realize you’ve fallen in love before you know it, and the reasons just follow after that. It’s like when people say the person they’ve fallen for is their type.”

“I see… By the way, can I ask in detail what aspect of Onee-chan made you fall for her, Rento-san?”

“Well, at first it was her personality, or maybe her attitude. As I said earlier, Yosaki is someone I admire. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I am who I am today because of Yosaki. After realizing my feelings, I started noticing her other charms, like how beautiful and cute she is, and then——”

“I-I need to go to the restroom.”

While I was in full swing praising Yosaki’s charms, a blushing Yosaki suddenly stood up and moved away from us.

It’s rare to see her react like that. Maybe she felt embarrassed in front of Saki-chan.

If I got to see that side of Yosaki, enduring this embarrassment is worth it.

After ensuring Yosaki had entered the restroom, Saki-chan looked at me with a sly smile that seemed beyond her age.

“Onee-chan really is loved, isn’t she?”

“It seems like that love doesn’t easily reach her though.”

“By the way, Rento-san. Do I resemble Onee-chan?”

“Hmm? Yes, you do. Especially around the eyes.”

“So, does that mean you like me as well?”

“Huh? Well, I like you, but…”

“Oh, I mean, as a girl. Do you like me that way?”

“Well you see, falling in love isn’t just about appearance.”

“I see…unlike Onee-chan, I’m a bad girl with a nasty personality… sniff…”

“No-no! That’s not true at all! I think Saki-chan is a straightforward girl with a kind heart!”

“Then, do you like me?”

This girl, she’s too mischievous…

Maybe she’s a little devil girl who knows more about love than the average high schooler around here, including me.

That’s Saki Yosaki for you.

***

Time returns to the present.

I was meeting with Saki-chan. Of course, Yosaki was with us too.

However, we hadn’t been able to see each other much lately. The reason was that she was busy with junior high school entrance exams until early February.

After that, she was making memories with her elementary school friends whom she’d soon part ways with and preparing for her life in junior high school.

Now, in mid-April, we finally had some free time, so we decided to meet up after a long while.

Saki-chan in front of me was wearing her school uniform.

The junior high school she went to is a prestigious integrated junior and high school, and it seems she wanted to show off her uniform to me, so she wore it even on her day off

“Good job on your exams, it’s been a while. The uniform suits you.”

“Thank you. I bought a slightly larger size, so it feels a bit loose now.”

“It’ll fit perfectly soon enough. By then, a beautiful girl will have emerged.”

“Ah, hehe. Will you fall for me seeing me in this uniform later, Rento-san?”

“No comment.”

“Pout. That’s mean.”

Saki-chan puffs out her cheeks to show her displeasure, but when I see that face, all I can think is, ‘She’s so cute,’ so it doesn’t affect me at all.

Having met her several times, I’ve come to know how to deal with Saki-chan’s mischievous moves, so I’m quite relaxed.

“Hey-hey, Rento-kun. How do I look? Does this outfit suit me?”

“Uh, of course it does. It’s both cute and beautiful. Is it something you bought recently? I’ve never seen it before.”

“Fufu, thank you, that makes me happy. Yes, it’s my first time showing it off.”

One day, Yosaki started calling me ‘Rento-kun’ only when we were together.

I’m still not used to that name, and every time she says it, my heart skips a beat.

I’m not as relaxed as I thought.

But I still call Yosaki ‘Yosaki’.

She told me to call her by her first name when we were with Saki-chan because ‘Yosaki’ would be confusing, but I refused, saying it was clear who I was referring to since I called Saki-chan ‘Saki-chan’.

The real reason was that I’m still embarrassed.

Seriously, I’m not relaxed at all.

Whenever I meet Saki-chan, it’s always the three of us.

Hinata has yet to meet Saki-chan because Saki-chan is shy around strangers.

It seems that this mischievous persona of hers is usually dormant, only showing itself in front of those she’s truly close with.

I seem to have been an exception since her devilish side showed itself to me rather early.

Therefore, I’m waiting for the right timing before introducing Hinata to Saki-chan.

That opportunity hasn’t come yet because I don’t want to bring in new people like Hinata and have Saki-chan shrink away and not enjoy herself.

In the end, I’m keeping our gatherings with these three a secret from Hinata.

Yosaki said it’d be best to stay quiet about it as Hinata would be upset if she found out she was being excluded.

I think there’s some truth to it, that’s why I’m going along with it.

Hinata also has things she’s keeping from Yosaki regarding me, so it’s kind of tit-for-tat…but I guess even best friends don’t share everything.

“Did you join any clubs, Saki-chan?”

“Yes, I joined the brass band. I’m going to play the flute.”

“Oh, the flute. I’ve only ever played instruments in class, so it seems difficult to me.”

“Hehe, my Senpai praised me. They said I handle the flute well. That my finger movement is smooth and my tonguing is beautiful. Do you know what tonguing is, Rento-san? It’s using your tongue.”

“…Saki-chan?”

“What is it?”

“…Never mind, we’re talking about the flute.”

“Yes, we’re talking about the flute. Weird Rento-san, hehe.”

Was it just me, or did that conversation sound a bit weird?

No, it must have been my imagination. It was just my imagination.

But Saki-chan’s expression seemed strange.

Maybe this little devil has evolved even more since becoming a junior high schooler…?

“Why are you both making those faces? I thought Saki was only talking about the flute’s fingering and tonguing?”

On the other hand, her sister is pure as pure can be.