The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Suddenly, a Senpai named Arahira-san started telling Ren to try confessing to Yosaki-chan right here and now.

I didn’t understand what was happening and was frozen in place.

Why would this Senpai demand such a thing of him, and what would Misa’s response be if he actually did it?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I just don’t know.

I’m too scared to even imagine it. I don’t want to think about it. So I don’t try to understand.

In contrast to my pathetic self, Misa stood up to Senpai. She said not to insult the act of confessing.

Although the subject of her statement was everyone’s confessions, I could tell she was referring to Ren’s.

Her seriousness clearly came through.

There’s no way I could win. Misa is Ren’s first love, and Ren is Misa’s first love.

How could I possibly compete with that?

And yet, this is my first love too. What’s the difference?

No, I know the difference.

It’s between me, unable to protect Ren right now, and Misa, who is able to protect him.

There’s a clear distinction right there.

Misa’s vigorous defense of Ren began to make the classmates around us sense something amiss in their relationship.

This is bad, it could be revealed——

——The fact that the arrow between the two points both ways.

If that becomes clear, if it does, there’s no chance for me…

Misa couldn’t stand the murmurs of the crowd and bolted from the room.

As I watched Ren chase after her immediately, I was forced to realize there was never a chance for me to begin with.

I should already have known that, yet maybe I had gotten a little carried away with the two of us having a secret relationship.

“Ah, what’s with those two, getting all excited together. What are we supposed to do with this mood, huh?”

Arahira-san grumbled.

But the heavy atmosphere in this room wasn’t created by Ren and the others; it was clearly Arahira-san himself.

Everyone knew it, but nobody could bring themselves to say it. I could only look down and stay silent.

“I’m going to head home, this mood is all damp now.”

Arahira-san was leaving. That was a relief.

Maybe without him, we could reset and start the get-together anew.

Or even if not, if Ren and Misa came back, the three of us could…

…wait, will they come back?

They won’t just leave together, right?

They wouldn’t leave me behind…right?

“Then, come home with me, Hinata-chan.”

“…Huh?”

I was startled to be suddenly called out by Arahira-san.

When I looked up, his hand was in front of me.

I realized it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Suddenly, I remembered the hand that Ren had given me.

A hand that I would like to grab right now.

On the other hand, I felt no allure to the one presented before me.

“Me?”

“Yeah. Actually, I’ve been interested in you, Hinata-chan. Since that close pair seem to have gone off somewhere, maybe you could come home with me today?”

“What, but… uh…”

I was hoping the two would maybe return, and I wanted to wait for them here a little longer.

I was about to decline Arahira-san’s invitation when I felt the stares of everyone around piercing through me.

『Hurry up and come home with him.』

『Take that Senpai somewhere else.』

『If you go home with him, you’ll be doing us a favor.』

Feeling those expectations in their gazes, all I could respond with was,

“…okay.”

“H-Hinata-san! Are you serious!?”

Ota-kun sitting next to me spoke up.

I could tell he was concerned about me, but it seemed like I had to go.

Rather, I don’t have the endurance to stay here under these stares.

“Ota-kun, I’ll be taking the train home from now on. Please send my goodbye to Seko.”

“Hinata-san… I understand.”

It’s a little gamble.

If he comes after me, then at that moment, I’ll… I’ll honestly throw all my feelings at him.

***

Right now, I’m heading home with Arahira Senpai.

I could walk home directly from the karaoke place, but I didn’t want Arahira Senpai to know where I lived, so I led him toward the station instead.

And I deliberately walk slower than usual.

Arahira Senpai seems annoyed by my pace, but he courteously matches his steps to mine on the surface.

I’m consciously keeping a little distance from Arahira Senpai, but as we walk, that space slowly gets closed and I’m getting stressed out.

If this continues, he might touch me eventually, so I try to widen the distance again slowly.

That’s the kind of back-and-forth going on right now.

His glances are lecherous. He’s been sneakily looking at my chest.

He thinks it’s not noticeable, but it’s obvious.

Arahira Senpai’s stories are… boring.

He only talks about boasting of himself. Like how many goals he scored in such and such a game, or how he turned down a scout from a strong soccer school to come to ours, and so on.

Even when a dog walking by approaches us, he just makes a face of annoyance and doesn’t bring it up.

If it were him, he would definitely mention something like, “How cute. I wonder what breed it is.”

Because he knows I like dogs.

Because he knows I can easily answer that question.

And because he knows I’m too worried about the owner’s feelings to start a conversation myself, he’d ask the owner for me, “Can I pet your dog?”

Then he turns to me with a smile, saying, “They said it’s okay!”

——Ren. Ren. Ren. Ren. Ren.

Even while I’m walking with Arahira Senpai, my mind is full of thoughts of Ren.

Why am I going home with this person?

I want to go home with Ren.

Why isn’t Ren the one next to me?

Why? Why?

“Hey, Hinata-chan, can I talk to you for a second?”

In the middle of a small bridge over the river that only people can cross, Arahira Senpai stops and calls my name with a somewhat serious tone.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Hinata-chan, are you dating anyone right now?”

“Uh… No, I’m not.”

“That’s great! Then, you see…”

Somehow, I can tell what he’s going to say next.

I don’t want to hear it, but now that it’s come to this, it’s inevitable.

“Go out with me. I’ve been thinking I really like you, Hinata-chan.”

The first confession I ever received was from someone so shallow, frivolous, and someone I didn’t like at all.

Holding back the tears that almost flowing, I reply.

“I’m sorry. I can’t go out with you, Senpai.”

“Huh, why? Is it because you don’t know much about me yet?”

“That’s part of it.”

“You’ll get to know me over time. Besides, your best friend said it, didn’t they? You can somewhat understand a person’s nature by listening to their songs.”

“But Senpai, you haven’t sung, have you?”

“…Well, anyway. You don’t have someone else you like now, do you?”

Someone I like… there is.

If I tell him the truth, will he give up?

“There is someone. I do have someone I like. So, I can’t go out with you, Senpai.”

“…Who?”

Arahira Senpai’s expression changes.

The smile that was plastered on his face until now has disappeared, and I can feel he has lost his composure.

I get a bit scared and lose my voice. Sensing that I won’t say anything, Arahira Senpai starts guessing who my crush is.

“Could it be Kaita?”

“Kaita-kun… Ah, that guy? No, it’s not him.”

“Then, Moriya?”

“…Who?”

“I feel sorry for those guys…”

Kaita-kun was the one who invited me today, right? And who is Moriya-kun?

Maybe a member of the soccer team.

“Then… could it be Seko?”

” ..… “

“Ah, so that’s how it is. Why would you choose someone like him…”

I hear words that I can’t ignore, but I’m too embarrassed to speak up.

Being confronted about the feelings I’ve kept secret within me makes my face unbearably hot.

“You should stay away from Seko.”

“…Why would you say something like that?”

I managed to raise my voice to argue with him, but Arahira Senpai seemed unfazed by it.

“I’m saying this for your own good… You saw how those two were earlier, right? It’s a well-known fact that Seko likes Yosaki-chan, but surely, Yosaki-chan must like Seko too.”

“!”

“Even if it’s not the case now, eventually, she’ll come to favor Seko. It’s a prediction based on my experience. When that happens, Seko’s number one will be Yosaki-chan, and Yosaki-chan’s number one will be Seko… You’ll just be second best to them.”

“!… Haa… Haaah…”

“It might be possible to stay as a trio, but you’ll only ever be second best to them. Somewhere inside of you’ll inevitably feel inferior. Can you really endure that? …but I, I will treat you as my number one. So, go out with me, and——”

“Shut up!!!”

I know all that without you telling me.

Those two are already in love with each other, and at best, I’m only second to them.

I know it’s impossible for us to be best friends forever. I will never be loved by him.

But! But if there was even the slightest hope, I wanted to cling to it.

I was happy just to be by his side, even in a twisted relationship.

I understand. I understand it all. I get it in my head. But I’ve worked hard to keep my heart from breaking.

I’ve put up barriers upon barriers so that my heart wouldn’t come to understand as well.

So don’t break it, please. I can’t do this anymore——

“Shut up? What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Kyaa!?”

Arahira Senpai grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me against the railing.

The force was so strong that it made me realize how careful Ren usually is when he touches me.

“Let go! I don’t want this!”

“What’s wrong with you guys, seriously! Just be quiet and go out with me! Don’t you know I’m popular!?”

I struggle desperately to remove Arahira Senpai’s arms.

As soon as I think I’m away from him, I’m quickly grabbed by the shoulder again and eventually pushed back against the railing.

“Damn it… mocking me. I’ll make you regret this.”

I don’t know what he’s going to do, but I understand that this is a desperate moment for me.

I struggle desperately, but Arahira Senpai’s hands no longer leave my shoulders.

I don’t want this. I don’t want this. I don’t want this. Help me, please help me——

“Help me! Ren!”

“…what are you doing, Senpai?”

“!”

When I opened my eyes, which had been shut tight from fear, there he was right before me, the figure I had wanted by my side all this time.

He grabs Arahira Senpai’s arm, pulls it away from my body, and then steps in between us.

…It’s Ren.

Ren came for me.

Ren…Ren, Ren!

Author’s Note:

I haven’t stated it explicitly until now to avoid spoilers,

but I do not plan to include NTR with the heroine. Please be assured.

Also, thank you always for your comments.

I read all of them, but I have no intention of changing the story’s direction because of them.

I’m writing the story I want to read, and since I’ve already written close to 70 chapters, it’s not possible to change it at this point.

I’ll probably delete this note at some time.

Added note:

Thank you for your warm comments.

I will leave this note to maintain consistency with the comments.

I think you should feel free to comment as long as it is within the bounds of common sense.

***

TN: Not sure if the author is taking precautions to avoid NTR hate comments or if he has already received them, but I’ll unlock two chapters today to avoid that too xd