The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

I chase after Haru, descending to the riverbank.

Haru has already made her way down to the river and proceeds to wade into the water.

Although the river itself is shallow, the footing is inevitably wet.

However, she moves onward into the middle parts without any concern for getting wet.

Giving up any hesitation, I jumped into the river too.

Water flooded my shoes, making each step uncomfortable.

Haru has moved to the area directly below where we were standing on the bridge, desperately scanning the surroundings.

I briefly look around as well, but I don’t see anything that resembles the hairpin.

A light object like a hairpin could easily have been carried away by the river’s flow.

The area we need to search could be quite huge.

“Haru, I’m sorry, but you won’t find it.”

“No.”

“Let’s give up before you catch a cold.”

“No!”

Despite my attempts to persuade her, Haru doesn’t stop searching.

It’s late April, and even though the air temperature has warmed, the water remains very cold.

Since entering the river, I’ve felt my body temperature dropping rapidly.

“It’s true that hairpin looked good on you, but you don’t need to search so desperately. You can always buy another one.”

“That’s not the point… That one! That one I bought because Ren said it suited me. It’s the reason I came to like sunflowers. It’s what made me realize… that I have feelings for Ren.”

“…what?”

“That hairpin is a symbol of my connection with Ren. I don’t want to lose it!”

I remember how she bought that hairpin.

It was on a day when Misa had to go home early during one of our usual outings, and Haru and I were about to part ways when Haru said she was going to stop by a general store, and I went along with her.

When Haru was looking at that hairpin, I told her it suited her.

I strangely remember that day. Haru’s smile when she decided to buy the hairpin was so radiant, beautiful, and cute.

I was completely captivated.

But that day was around this time last year…

That means Haru has had feelings for me since a year ago?

Then, Haru’s intention in proposing that twisted relationship is completely different from what I had assumed until now.

Haru continues to search for the hairpin with tears streaming down her face.

She looks fragile and so adorable… Before I knew it, I found myself hugging her from behind.

“Let’s stop this, Haru.”

“Ren… let go. I’m not giving up yet. I will find it, so…”

“The proof of our connection isn’t just in things.”

“What…?”

I let go of Haru for a moment and grasp her arms to turn her towards me. Tears are still overflowing, her eyes are swollen, and her cheeks are tinged with red.

“There should be plenty of other things that symbolize the connection between Haru and me. Memories are one of them. Those things that exist only between us are special, too.”

“…but I feel uneasy if there’s no physical form. I get anxious. Ren…you might leave me someday, and memories fade with time. What should I cling to if that happens…?”

“We can make more memories together.”

“…Don’t say that when you can’t promise me…”

“I promise. Let’s hang out a lot, talk a lot, and experience many things together.”

“…Why are you willing to go that far for me?”

“Why? That’s because I, to you Haru, I——”

“I wonder what you two are doing.”

Just as I was about to convey my feelings to Haru, a familiar voice came from the riverbank.

My body instinctively moved away from Haru, and in that sudden motion, I slipped and fell, getting completely soaked.

As I struggled to lift my waterlogged clothes, I apologized to Haru.

“Are you, okay?”

“Ouch… Haru, sorry. You got wet because of me.”

“No-no. Don’t worry about it. More importantly, continue what you were saying…”

“…Sorry. I’ll tell you another time.”

“…Okay. I’ll be waiting, then.”

After the conversation, we headed back toward the riverbank, toward Misa, who was looking at us with a puzzled expression.

“Why were both of you down there?”

Faced with Misa’s question, Haru doesn’t answer, keeping her head down.

So, I decide to answer for her.

“There was a little trouble between that senpai and Hinata. During that, you know, the hairpin that was holding back Hinata’s bangs fell into the river, and we were searching for it.”

“It seemed like you two were deep in conversation, though.”

“I was just persuading her to give up the search. The current could have carried it downstream. Eventually, Hinata agreed.”

“…I see. By the way, you got wet. Do you have a change of clothes?”

“No change of clothes, we didn’t have PE today.”

“Right, but I think you should at least wring out the water.”

“Yeah, I should at least wring out the top. Here I go.”

First, I took off my blazer and wore it out. A large amount of water comes out.

Well, I’ll have to go back without it on, and as for the shirt… While thinking that I must wring it out properly, I start unbuttoning and taking off my dress shirt.

Not minding the wrinkles, I squeezed hard, and a lot of water came out.

“Looks like I have no choice but to walk home.”

“Fufu, that’s true. I’ll accompany you.”

“No, you don’t have to.”

“It’s fine. ‘Rento-kun’ should rely on me more.”

“Rento-kun…?”

I heard Haru muttering behind me, but it seemed Misa didn’t hear it.

I felt a chill. Maybe it’s because I got wet.

My underwear was soaked too, and while it would be impossible for the bottoms, I decided to squeeze the top undergarments as well.

I took off my upper undergarment and wrung it out just like before.

While doing this, Misa seemed to notice something and said, “Oh?”

“Did you get into a fistfight with that person?”

“No, I managed to avoid that. I’m not confident since I’ve never fought anyone before.”

“Then what’s this here? You’ve got a bruise.”

“… ah.”

When I looked where Misa was pointing, I remembered.

That ‘bruise’ was a hickey that Haru had given me yesterday—

“That’s a kiss mark I made.”

I felt the air freeze in that instant.

As if winter had returned, it was colder than before.

Misa’s gaze shifted to Haru who had just dropped the bombshell.

There was no light in her eyes, and Haru’s eyes also darkened.

“Haru. What do you mean by kiss mark? Why would you put such a thing on Rento-kun’s body? Hey, why?”

“…Because Ren is mine. It’s Misa’s fault. BMisa kept turning down Ren’s confessions, so it’s okay for me to make Ren mine. I’ve already marked him as proof.”

“You… don’t you know how I feel!?”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t hold back anymore. I’m sorry.”

“…then I won’t hold back either.”

“What?”

With that, Misa turned toward me and stepped closer—one step, then another—and stole my lips.

It was a pecking kiss at first. Just lips touching and parting, then touching again.

It was somewhat characteristic of Misa Yosaki. But gradually, her lips lingered, and finally, they send a warm and soft sensation into my mouth.

“Mmfh!?”

Confused by the sudden event, I was frozen, but the shock brought me back to reality.

The new sensation of our tongues touching sent shivers through my body, and my brain swirled with pleasure.

I looked at Misa’s face.

Her eyes were closed, but her desperate expression was somehow adorable.

It made me want to stay like this forever.

“….No! No-no-no-no-no. Stop, please stop!”

Haru’s anguished voice echoed in my head.

Misa must have heard it too, yet she didn’t stop, and I couldn’t move my body.

“I haven’t kissed yet. Ren’s first kiss… give it back to me! It’s mine, it’s supposed to be mine!”

While screaming, Haru pulled Misa away from me. Separated, we both gasped for air, clearly lacking oxygen.

My brain didn’t seem to be working properly, and my vision had been spinning since a while ago.

“Fufu, I’m glad to hear that. I guess I got his first kiss.”

“No, Misa, that’s wrong. If you force it like that, Ren will be sad.”

“Oh? Even though he likes me? He’s been expressing his feelings for me for a year, Haru knows that, right?”

“E-even so! That’s not the way to do it, that’s wrong!”

“Then, what about the kiss mark you left? How did that happen?”

“That is…”

“You did something you can’t tell others about too, didn’t you?”

“…b-but!…That’s wrong, because Ren is mine. Misa shouldn’t do things like that.”

“Oh? Since when did he become yours?”

“J-just now!… Ah. Wait, I haven’t heard it yet. I haven’t heard the end of it. Hey, Ren! The rest of what you were saying earlier… let me hear it… Ren!”

“Rento-kun!”

Their arguing voices reached my ears, but the content didn’t sink in. It only caused me a headache.

An intense pain ran through my head, making me crouch down in agony.

Noticing my state, both of them rushed over to me.

Why did it come to this?

We were supposed to have been getting along for a year…

Yet, could our relationship really break this easily, this fragilely?

The reason is very simple.

It’s me——I am the cause.

If I hadn’t done unnecessary things——

If I hadn’t kept persistently confessing to Misa——

If I hadn’t succumbed to Haru’s temptation and built this twisted relationship——

“I’m sorry.”

In the end, all I can do is make someone unhappy.

I should have realized this back then——

——Back then? When was that?

I can’t remember, but it’s somehow there in my memory.

What is this?

“I’m sorry…”

Am I going to lose them again? Those important to me?

“I’m sorry, Ran——”

——At that moment, my consciousness faded away.

***

TN: Maybe Ran (蘭) is someone’s name or nickname.