The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Today was the day after I saw Haru’s mother, Akira-san.

With Golden Week starting tomorrow, my classmates were excitedly chatting away.

We were no exception, getting carried away with the topic ourselves.

“Maybe a sightseeing spot?”

“But it’s going to be super crowded, right? We will spend more time in line than actually being in the store.”

“That’s totally possible.”

“Ehh, if we keep saying stuff like that, we won’t be able to go anywhere.”

“That’s true… hmm.”

This is how our ‘Golden Week Destination Deciding Meeting (named by Haru)’ kept going in circles.

In the end, today was over without any decision made, and it was after school.

Since we weren’t part of any club, we didn’t have any reason to stay at school and usually went straight home.

Today was no exception, and I was about to leave the classroom right away.

However, it wasn’t just the two of them who came up to me as I picked up my backpack and stood up from my seat.

“Hey Seko, got a minute?”

The one who approached me was my classmate, Kaita.

He’s a member of the soccer club, and thanks to his sweet looks (甘いマスク), he’s popular with the girls.

I don’t remember talking to him much, so I wondered what he wanted.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“After this, we’re all going to karaoke, and I was hoping you’d come too, Seko. We haven’t really interacted much since we became this class, right? So I was thinking we could get to know each other before the long holiday starts.”

“I see.”

“Especially those two… Yosaki and Hinata don’t really hang out with others apart from the three of you. I invited them today too, and both said they’d come if you were going.”

“Oh.”

Since our enrollment, the three of us have always been acting together.

There was indeed a neglect of interaction with other classmates.

This might not be good for either the classmates or us.

Time with the two of them is precious, but since we are all in the same class, maybe I should participate.

“Alright, I’ll join the karaoke. But, is it okay with your club activities, Kaita?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s an off day today. So it’s fine.”

“Mmm, is that so.”

Maybe that means he’ll be working hard during the holiday.

Sports clubs are tough. Good luck with that.

“I’ll give you the details later, so let’s exchange contact information.”

“Okay.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting. See you later.”

After finishing the conversation with Kaita, Yosaki and Haru approached me.

“You agreed to go?”

“It’s a good opportunity. If we get along with our classmates now, it’ll make preparations for the cultural festival go smoother.”

“Heh, that’s a surprisingly calculating answer.”

“Seko is sneaky~”

“Shut it.”

“Well, I don’t have any particular errands today, so I don’t mind going. It’s been a while since I last went to karaoke!”

An errand, huh?

I had one yesterday, but after I argued that it didn’t need to be done every day, it was decided to do it every few days instead.

That’s why I don’t have such errands today.

“I don’t really want to sing though.”

“Then, Seko-kun, how about you sing with me? It’s a little easier to sing with someone, right?”

“Oh, that would help.”

“Ah, I can join in and sing with you too?”

“If I’m singing with the two of you, it won’t be any different from usual.”

Both of them laughed at that, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

It was a sudden event, but I was a little excited at the idea of karaoke with my classmates.

Since everyone commuted differently, we decided to meet at the site, assuming everyone would take the mode of transportation that suited them best.

After waiting in the classroom for a while, Kaita let us know the karaoke place through a messaging app, and the three of us headed there.

When we arrived in front of the store, we saw a familiar figure.

“Oh, Oda. You’re here too?”

“Seko! Ah, yes. I was invited by Kaita.”

“But you usually go straight home after school, right? When did he invite you? Had you exchanged contact details with him?”

“No, I haven’t. I remember being invited during the lunch break.”

“Oh, I see. So it was planned since then.”

I had assumed it was very spontaneous.

Especially since he invited us after school.

“I was invited just before lunchtime during the morning classes.”

“Me too—”

“So that means I was the last one to be invited. This really shows how little I usually interact with everyone.”

“If you say that, then I’m in the same boat.”

While it was true what Oda said, I guess it’s fine since I was invited after all.

They must have gone around inviting people in turn, and it’s only natural there would be some time difference.

As we chatted in front of the store, classmates started to trickle in, probably about half the class.

With club activities off, there were many from the soccer club, and the rest were people I wouldn’t normally associate with karaoke.

“It’s quite an unexpected crowd.”

Haru spoke to us in a volume careful not to be overheard by others. I replied with a wry smile,

“Yeah, it is.”

“Thank you all for gathering here today! Let’s go in then. The reservation is already made.”

We followed Kaita, our dependable classmate, who had prepared everything and entered the karaoke place.

The room prepared for us was a large party room.

It was my first time using such a big room with so many people and my first time entering a room with a disco ball hanging down.

The other classmates also looked around the room with curiosity and began to sit down randomly.

There were two sets of sofas facing each other in this room.

First, Yosaki sat down at the end of one sofa. I sat down near her.

Then Haru took a seat next to Yosaki.

“Hey, Seko. Move closer here. If you leave a gap, there won’t be enough space for everyone to sit.”

“Ah, right.”

Prompted by Haru, I moved closer to her side.

Yosaki, Haru, and I ended up sitting next to each other, and I inwardly smirked at how it turned out to be the usual seating arrangement.

Then Oda came to sit next to me, slightly twitching.

“I came here, but I didn’t expect such a party atmosphere! Seko, don’t abandon me~”

“I won’t abandon you, but it’s karaoke, so of course it’s going to be a bit like this. I know you’re not that nervous when you’re with me.”

“That’s because I feel safe with Seko…”

“Oda…”

“Seko…”

“Seko? Ota-kun? Can you stop giving off that weird vibe?”

“It’s a little unpleasant.”

“Y-yes!”

When Oda and I started joking around, Haru and Yosaki scolded us.

What’s wrong with deepening friendship between guys?

“Come on, Seko. If you sit like that, it’s no different than usual. The purpose today is to interact with our classmates.”

Then I got scolded by Kaita.

His point was too valid for me to retort.

“Well then. Guess I’ll move.”

“Wait, Seko. Aren’t you going to sing with me? Isn’t it more convenient to be next to each other to choose the songs?”

“Uh, that’s true.”

“Seko! You said you wouldn’t leave me behind!”

“Don’t give me those guilt-inducing puppy eyes, Oda.”

Caught between the arguments of the two next to me, Kaita found it difficult to insist on me moving, so he shifted his target to Yosaki.

“Yosaki. Could you move your seat too?”

“I like being at the edge, so I prefer it here.”

“I get your preference, but today, I’d like you to talk with other classmates too. Besides, there are others who——”

“If that’s the case, I think karaoke is not the right place for that. Once someone starts singing, the loud music fills the room, making it difficult for others to talk. In the end, I think you can only choose to sing or listen.”

“…I-I see. Okay, I got it.”

It seemed like Kaita’s spirit was broken by Yosaki’s relentless rebuttal.

Good effort though.

In the end, we didn’t change seats and karaoke was about to start when it happened.

The door to our karaoke room swung open with force, and someone came in.

I thought it was a late-coming classmate, but I didn’t recognize the face.

Light brown hair, a green tie. Not a classmate, but a Senpai from one grade above us.

Why is he here?

Just like me, Yosaki, Haru, Oda, and the other classmates were disturbed.

However, the soccer team members didn’t seem fazed.

“Hello, everyone from Class 2-B. You might know me, I’m Naruki Arahira, the ace striker of the soccer club. I’m the one who planned this karaoke event today.”

What? What do you mean?

This was supposed to be an event for our class.

So why is Arahira saying he’s the one who planned it?

I looked at Kaita abruptly, and he had a slightly awkward expression when our eyes met.

I guessed that Kaita had probably been told by that senior to invite everyone.

“Well then, let’s start this fun and friendly get-together!”

The suddenly appearing ace striker declared loudly.