The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 25

Part 4: Misa Yosaki’s Love

Chapter 25

I’ve never had high expectations for anyone other than my family.

I’m often asked, “Are you a young lady? (Ojousama),” but my family isn’t particularly noble or prestigious.

However, we are fairly wealthy, and my parents’ upbringing was quite strict, so I’m aware that it’s not entirely incorrect to assume so.

Still, my parents were usually kind and seemed to understand what I was thinking despite their strict discipline.

For that reason, I genuinely respect them.

Therefore, I attended a private elementary school as my parents wished.

Some of my classmates were business executives’ children or company presidents’ daughters.

Looking back, that might have been the time when I most fit the ‘young lady’ label.

What I saw there were classmates who scorned others while overlooking their own shortcomings.

I was astounded by their blindness to their own faults and their unnecessarily aggressive attitudes toward others.

Furthermore, the adults there were disappointing.

Whether out of pride for working at one of the country’s prestigious schools or confidence stemming from their career, many of them had an arrogant attitude.

My classmates would submit to these adults while internally disdaining it in their hearts, and these adults took a domineering attitude toward us but bowed low in front of those above them.

As an elementary school student, I learned a little about the nature of society and stopped expecting others to do the same.

Yet, my classmates seemed to enjoy their daily lives in such an environment.

——I was the only one who wasn’t happy.

I began to wonder if the one truly in the wrong was me.

As I could only see my school friends with such a cynical outlook——I started questioning why I was like this.

Gradually, this led me to dislike myself as well.

Although I could have continued my education at the same institution until high school, I decided this place was just not for me.

That’s why I asked my parents to let me attend a local public junior high school.

Surprisingly, they agreed without any objection.

In retrospect, it wasn’t surprising; they always had my best interests at heart.

That’s why I have nothing but gratitude for my parents.

If the environment changes, the people around me will change too, right?

If so, I thought that maybe I could change as well——

***

In the end, my expectations were betrayed.

Human nature remained consistent wherever I went.

Conversational topics with classmates did change, but the trend of being lenient with oneself and strict with others persisted.

Though I talked with my classmates, I couldn’t make a single friend by the time I reached my third year.

If only I had known things would turn out like this——I regretted not continuing my education at the same institution.

“H-hey, you’re Yosaki, right?”

When I entered the new classroom, a male classmate I didn’t recognize approached me.

“Yes, and you are?”

“I am——〇〇〇〇”

What was his name?

I can’t even recall the first letter.

He seemed to be the class clown, gathering several classmates and laughing obnoxiously.

“Hey, come over here.”

Then he beckoned to a dispirited-looking boy.

The boy came over obediently and was made to perform an impression that could best be described as forced.

After that, the people around him laughed mockingly.

“Boring.”

Before I realized it, my true feelings had slipped from my mouth.

The impersonation itself was boring, but even more so were my classmates, who laughed along with such mockery.

And above all, it was this guy who just let them do whatever they wanted to him who bored me the most.

The upbeat guy switched his attitude, desperately trying to get back into my good graces.

It was a complete turn-around from his previous demeanor.

Really boring——

The people around us looked puzzled, not knowing what to do.

Some even shot glances as if to say, “Don’t get carried away.”

I wonder who’s really getting carried away here.

Among them, only he, Seko-kun, looked at me directly.

His eyes, clouded until a moment ago, gradually regained their light.

From that day on, he changed.

I didn’t know much about the previous him, but he transformed into someone different from my initial impression.

He first approached two male classmates to initiate conversation.

I watched him from a distance.

At first, both were awkward, but soon enough laughter began to leak out.

Seeing this, a smile spread across my face——then I felt that our eyes met for a moment.

***

Seko-kun started hanging out with these boys——but to my surprise, he approached me one day.

“Y-Yosaki! Listen!”

Even in such brief words, his voice was shaky, clearly showing that he was nervous.

It was somewhat cute.

I had never felt this way about a classmate before.

“Did you watch last night’s ‘Monday at 9’ drama?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really watch dramas.”

“I-I see. Ah, what about the recent shocking news on TV?”

“I don’t really watch TV either.”

“…Should we talk about the recent test?”

“I don’t mind, but I don’t think you’ll enjoy talking about it.”

“By the way, what was your score, Yosaki?”

“I got full marks on everything.”

“That’s really interesting!!! Waa, how can you study so well!? Ohh, is it because you work hard? Wow, I wish I could get perfect scores in all subjects and say something like that~!”

“…Fufu. What’s that all about.”

He had thought through various topics until he found one we could both talk about.

And although the topic he came up with didn’t seem particularly interesting, I surprisingly found myself enjoying our conversation.

At that time, I didn’t understand why.

After all, this is not because he was particularly good at talking.

After that, he started talking to me every day.

At first, it was only a few minutes per day. Gradually it increased, and before I knew it, we were talking the entire time we were at school.

He also became more relaxed, and his voice is no longer shaky.

There’s a small part of me that finds that a bit lonely.

Though he wouldn’t get angry, I imagined he’d probably sulk if I told him that.

Still, I’d like to see that side of him.

***

As the weather began to get cold, conversations about future career paths started surfacing even in our usually noisy classroom.

I was still undecided about my future.

I stared out the window from my seat in the classroom, contemplating what the best choice for me would be.

It was then that I overheard Seko-kun talking to Oda-kun about their future paths.

Apparently, they’re going to the same high school.

The next day, I filled out the career preference survey, writing down the name of the high school that had come to my ears.

Somehow, it felt like the best choice for me.

“Somehow…huh?”

I reflected on how my way of thinking had changed.

The old me would have made a more cold-calculated decision.

But now, I was choosing my future based on intuition.

People can change.

That’s what Seko-kun showed me.

He had once thanked me, looking straight into my eyes and said,

『——I became who I am now because of you, Yosaki.』

At the time, I had no recollection of doing anything for him, but I was shocked to know that my words and actions had changed someone else.

I easily passed the entrance exams and enrolled in the high school I now attend.

To my surprise, I found myself in the same class as Seko-kun this year too.

After the entrance ceremony, he asked me to follow him, and we headed to the back of the school building.

I had no idea why he’d summoned me there.

But I felt a palpable tension coming from him——just like that day.

“I like you… Please go out with me!”

His face flushed red as he uttered those words.

Ah, a confession.

It took me a few seconds to understand, and when I did, I was surprised by the sudden situation.

But there was a part of me that felt moved.

I couldn’t help but smile after seeing how much he’d changed to be able to make such a move.

Still, my answer was already set.

“I’m sorry.”

I was genuinely happy for Seko-kun’s feelings, but I couldn’t reciprocate them.

——Someone who can’t even like herself doesn’t have the right to fall in love.