The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

How did I end up in such a relationship with Hinata?

To sort it out, let’s trace back to the time when I first met Hinata.

On the day of the entrance ceremony, I confessed my feelings to Yosaki and was rejected.

Needless to say, I confessed to Yosaki again the next day.

“I forgot to mention this yesterday, but the high school uniform suits you, Yosaki! Please go out with me!”

“Oh, thank you. I really like this design.”

Despite being confessed to in the classroom and surrounded by classmates, she responded as if she didn’t mind at all.

“What’s with him, confessing out of the blue? Is he an idiot?”

“Pff—. He’s getting rejected.”

“Heh, this guy is funny.”

I could hear sneering voices from around me.

It couldn’t be helped, and those voices didn’t bother me.

However,

“What are you all laughing at? Laughing while seeing someone desperately trying…you are such boring people.”

For some reason, Yosaki, who should have been the primary victim, seemed most concerned about it and defended me.

My classmates who Yosaki stared at looked guilty and averted their eyes from us.

I was the one who caused this situation, and it felt strange for me to express gratitude, but just when I tried to say thank you as I thought everyone had left us alone——

——One of my classmates approached us.

She intervened and stood between Yosaki and me and said,

“Hey, stop doing that! Can’t you see you’re bothering her?”

The classmate who intervened between us was Haru Hinata.

“I’m not particularly bothered,”

“That’s what she said.”

“She’s just being kind to a pitiful person like you! Hey, if you keep being nice to someone like him, you’ll end up in troubl——Wow, super cute! And super beautiful! Oh wow, up close you’re even more amazing. Everything about you is just… amazing!”

“The only thing that’s ‘amazing’ is your lack of vocabulary.”

“Shut up! You just keep quiet!”

“…ahaha.”

From that moment on, I started spending more time with Hinata.

I would confess to Yosaki every day, Yosaki would gracefully deflect my confessions, and Hinata would try to protect Yosaki from me.

Based on this relationship pattern alone, it’s hard to understand how we’ve been getting along so well.

Well, even I, as a party involved, don’t fully understand.

If I had to say, the biggest factor might be that the two of them tolerate a fool like me.

Somehow, the balance might be just right.

Hinata, who was smitten with Yosaki’s beauty, rapidly built a close relationship with her, and within a month, they established themselves as best friends.

Seeing Hinata accomplish something I couldn’t, I felt a tinge of jealousy.

However, their relationship was clearly within the bounds of friendship, so I found their interactions endearing.

Well… admittedly, it wasn’t always free from annoyance.

Whenever Hinata hugged Yosaki, she would always make sure to flash a triumphant face my way.

It was annoying!

“Misa and Seko went to the same middle school, right?”

“Yep. We were even in the same class last year.”

“Oh? So, you’ve liked Misa since then? Did you choose this high school just to follow her? You’re like a stalker!”

“It’s a coincidence! This school has good academic performance and it’s close to my house. So, isn’t it normal that Yosaki, from the same district, would attend the same school?”

“The way you casually make excuses makes it all the more suspicious.”

“What should I do then?”

Hinata always picks on me, and it’s difficult to handle. That’s why we often clash like this.

“Ahaha. What Seko-kun is saying is probably true. After all, I never told anyone about my school choice except for my homeroom teacher.”

When Yosaki said this, Hinata looked at me skeptically and murmured, ‘Hmm,’ as if she was unconvinced.

This is how it usually goes when the three of us are together.

I do realize that constantly bothering her isn’t right, so I’ve decided to limit my confessions to once a day after a while.

Hence, I try to hold back as much as possible during regular conversations, but Hinata tends to confront me over trivial matters.

Consequently, it’s become routine for Hinata and me to bicker in front of Yosaki.

So, how is it when it’s just the two of us?

Regrettably, I couldn’t secure the seat next to Yosaki during our first seating change.

Worse yet, I ended up at the very back by the window, while Yosaki was at the front by the corridor; it was a completely opposite position.

Instead, Hinata ended up sitting next to me for some reason.

We looked at each other and moved our seats; seeing Hinata’s tense face as if she had forgotten something, I decided I had to be extra careful not to forget my textbooks.

Perhaps because of that resolution, I developed the habit of meticulously checking my schedule to avoid the embarrassment of forgetting my textbooks.

However,

“Hey, I forgot my textbook. Let me look at yours.”

Without waiting for my response, Hinata moved her desk close to mine, and then I placed the textbook we were sharing in between our desks.

She leaned in to read. I remember she mentioned having good eyesight before, but she got extremely close during these times.

This happened multiple times a week.

At its peak, it happened once per subject a day.

I’ve pointed out that she forgets too often, but she would just say, ‘I forgot, so it can’t be helped.’

I think people don’t forget things without a reason.

Besides, unlike me, Hinata had another person sitting on her other side.

She could’ve just shared with her since they are both girls and probably feel more comfortable.

However, she said,

“I’m not that close with her, so this is fine.”

And so, my textbook was gradually being used by both Hinata and me.

When it’s just the two of us, Hinata and I don’t seem to be on bad terms.

We don’t hang out or text each other frequently, but our relationship seems to exist because of Yosaki.

***

Today was another day full of classes.

During the break, I checked that my next class was World History and pulled out the World History textbook and notebook from my bag while holding back a yawn.

Suddenly, my desk space doubled. It was just Hinata casually connecting her desk to mine.

I looked over at my neighbor who does not say anything to me, but she was sitting as if nothing happened, fiddling with her smartphone.

“You forgot again today?”

“That’s right. Thanks.”

“Why are you acting like it’s so natural? And isn’t there no need to connect the desks now? We can do it when the class starts.”

“We should prepare for the class now, you know that, right?”

“I get your point, but it’s annoying.”

Hinata, without looking up from her smartphone and acting as if sharing my textbook was a given, made me sigh heavily.

At that moment, Yosaki approached and chuckled at the sight of us.

“Haru, did you forget again?”

“I thought I packed it last night, but I can’t find it. I’m sure there’s a ghost in my house.”

“Don’t blame it on a ghost.”

“Is that why you’re sharing it with Seko-kun again today? Are you two actually good friends?”

Upon Yosaki’s arrival and her subsequent question, Hinata, who had been looking in her direction, dropped her gaze back to her own hands.

“There’s no way. Seko is a beast that wants to attack Misa, and I’m the knight protecting her. We’re basically enemies.”

“Hey, who are you calling a beast?”

“Then, you’re a ghost.”

“You’re blaming your forgetfulness on me too?!”

Watching our banter, Yosaki chuckled softly, and I found myself captivated by that smile.

In the corner of my vision, I could see Hinata had already looked away from her smartphone.