The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Today, I’m visiting Rento-kun’s house at my suggestion.

Rento-kun’s mom is a very friendly person, and we hit it off almost immediately.

Seeing Haru tense up next to me actually helped me relax a bit.

Rento-kun’s room doesn’t show much personality.

Come to think of it, I don’t know much about his likes and hobbies.

A quick scan of his bookshelf reveals some manga, but there’s a noticeable amount of empty space.

Maybe he’s not that into collecting manga.

Rento-kun generally doesn’t talk much about himself.

He engages us in conversations related to our interests, but he’s not the type to actively discuss his own hobbies.

Maybe we should have asked him about his interests.

But there doesn’t seem to be anything in his room to indicate any specific interests.

Maybe he really doesn’t have any particular hobby.

——It would be a good idea to find a hobby together. Then we can have common interests…fufu.

The reason I suggested visiting Rento-kun’s room was not just to see the room itself but also to better understand him.

I couldn’t discover much about his tastes, but I did get the lucky chance to see photos of him as a child and in elementary school.

Little Rento-kun was adorable, and it led me to imagine what our children might look like someday.

However, the elementary school-age Rento-kun seemed devoid of liveliness, much like when I first met him in junior high school.

What happened during that time?

He had never told me, but later, his mother invited me for a one-on-one conversation and I asked her about it when I talked with her.

***

I go downstairs to the living room, where I sit across from Rento-kun’s mom at the table.

Just as I take a sip of the coffee she made, she begins to speak.

“Sorry for suddenly asking for a one-on-one conversation.”

“No, I actually wanted to talk more, so I’m grateful.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

The exchange reminded me again that she is, after all, his mother.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you for a long time, Misa-chan.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“Yes. He changed in the third year of junior high school, didn’t he? No, he was able to change. He once told me it was thanks to you, Misa-chan. That’s why I’ve been meaning to thank you for that.”

“Oh no, I didn’t really do anything. I think it’s all the result of Rento-kun’s own efforts.”

“You don’t have to be so modest. But I just wanted to thank you… Thank you for giving him the chance to change, Misa-chan.”

His mother lowered her head to express her gratitude to me, and I hastily told her,

“Please, raise your head!”

Lifting her face, she looked at me straight on and smiled warmly.

Then, lifting her mug, she took a sip of coffee and said while looking off into the distance,

“You see, when I said he changed, it might be more accurate to say that he returned to his former self.”

“Do you mean he’s reverted to how he was when he was in kindergarten?”

“Oh my, you’ve noticed. How wonderful. He is indeed loved.”

“Ah, love… n-no, I-I mean, I…”

Suddenly hearing the word ‘love’ from her, I became visibly flustered.

Without changing her gentle smile, her gaze turned sharp, almost piercing through me.

“Misa-chan, what do you think of Rento?”

“…Um, what do you mean?”

“Just what I said. Do you have any feelings for him?”

I felt as if I were being tested.

Could it be that she had heard from him that I was not reciprocating his feelings?

No, that couldn’t be it; it’s not like him to do such a thing.

So, why was she asking this?

I couldn’t figure it out, but I have come to the conclusion that it is best to answer honestly.

“…yes, I like him. I have feelings for Rento-kun.”

I looked straight into her eyes and voiced my feelings for the first time.

She whispered, ‘I see,’ and narrowed her eyes.

“I have no intention of interfering in how you two interact with each other in the future. But there’s something I’d like to ask of you, Misa-chan. That’s why I asked you that odd question. I’m sorry for asking such a strange question so suddenly.”

“No-no, it’s okay. But what would you like to ask me?”

“Yes. Before that, I have to say… Rento was once more active than he is now. He was a curious child who was interested in everything. He would greet everyone he passed by, and he would even volunteer to help me with household chores.”

His kind nature hasn’t changed, I thought, feeling a bit happy.

But he seemed more proactive back then.

“He doesn’t remember much from that time, but there was a minor incident. Since then, he started to live as though he’s suppressing himself…”

She clenched her fists on the table tightly; I could tell it was from regret.

“Then he met you, Misa-chan, and he began to revert to his old self, little by little. Of course, I was happy to see him regaining his spirit. But at the same time, I was also worried. Worried that he might withdraw into himself again, perhaps even deeper than before. He has a habit of thinking alone over things on his own. When he’s deeply troubled, he even gets fevers and severe headaches.”

She took a deep breath, looked into my eyes again, and continued,

“As Rento’s mother, I have a favor to ask. Please watch over him. If it’s not too much to ask, please support him. It should be my role as his parent, but… I don’t think I can do it.”

“Leave it to me. You and Rento both say that I saved him, but the one who was truly saved is me. I will do my best to repay him for that, so please don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Misa-chan.”

“And, I believe Rento also relies on you as his mother. So, please don’t feel that way.”

“Hmm that boy does? Well, if you say so, I guess I’ll have to believe it.”

She chuckled mischievously, and I found myself smiling too.

It’s an atmosphere settled that indicated the subject was closed.

It seemed that his mother had been tense before; she stretched and exhaled deeply.

“You give off an ‘older sister’ air, Misa-chan. Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a cousin. She’s in her first year of junior high school and is very fond of Rento. He often plays with her.”

“Really? Rento never mentioned that. Well, a younger sister, huh?”

When she uttered the last words, her eyes seemed to gaze far away, as if looking at someone who wasn’t there——a somewhat sorrowful look.

I remembered then that Rento had said his mothyer had always wanted a daughter.

“I’d like to meet your cousin, Misa-chan.”

“I’ll bring her next time. I think she’d love to meet Rento’s mother as well.”

“Really? That’s wonderful.”

After that, she and I engaged in light conversation, and after a while——I stood up to return upstairs and talk to Rento.

“Thank you for indulging my selfishness.”

“Not at all. I was happy to have this conversation with you.”

“That’s a relief to hear. From our talk, it’s clear that the three of you are really close.”

“Yes. Meeting the two of them has been the treasure of my school years.”

“Misa-chan, for you to say that, they must really be important. But really, the balance between all of you is quite something…”

His mother said with a slightly wistful look in her eyes,

“——I hope you can maintain that balance forever.”