The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Despite the long holiday, except for a short shopping trip, I spent most of my time lounging in bed.

Well, it’s all part of resting. Right now, the best treatment is to empty my mind and just zone out.

This year’s Golden Week had only Monday as a working day, but since I took that day off too, it turned into an extended holiday.

I wonder if my classmates will resent me for skipping so many days.

Well, some of them know my situation, so maybe I won’t be too hated.

I thought about re-reading some manga but stopped when I saw the cover of ‘Torupani’.

I felt like it would bring back things I had managed to get out of my head.

So, all I could do was watch random videos on a video site. It would be nice if I had other hobbies.

…That’s it. I should look for new hobbies. Wouldn’t that be a good use of time?

And I ended up back at the video site I was browsing earlier.

Nowadays, video sites are like hobby exhibitions.

People with a variety of hobbies demonstrate them. Among them, outdoor activities are popular, and fishing seems to be one of the top genres.

“Fishing, huh. Dad has it as a hobby, so it might be easy to get into.”

But once I show interest, I’m afraid I might be dragged into fishing every weekend.

My dad is a fishing junkie.

As I watched other hobby videos for a while, suddenly, my smartphone screen switched.

A name and an answer button appeared. I checked the name, took a deep breath, and answered the call.

“Hello?”

『…Hello, Rento-kun. It’s been a while.』

“Yeah. Just a few days, though.”

『For me, it felt very long. Didn’t it feel that way to Rento-kun?』

“…no, it did feel long.”

『Fufu, I see. I’m glad to hear that.』

I could hear Misa’s relieved voice on the other end of the line.

『…sorry. I know I probably shouldn’t even call, but I couldn’t help it.』

“No, it’s okay. I was really bored.”

『…Thank you, and I’m sorry.』

“You don’t need to keep apologizing.”

『It’s not that. The apology just now was for what happened the other day, for suddenly doing that.』

That thing… When I realized what she was referring to, I felt my face heat up.

Probably, she was apologizing for the kiss she gave me right before I fainted on the riverbank.

It was, well, stimulating.

『I’m really sorry. I still don’t understand why I did something like that… But maybe, deep down, I wanted to. Are you disappointed with me?』

“No, not at all.”

『Lies. It was your first time, right? And I just took it from you so forcefully.』

“No, really. I was surprised, but… I didn’t hate it.”

Right, I didn’t hate it. In fact, I was happy.

Of course, I was. She’s the girl I like, the one I’ve been confessing my love to for a year.

Being kissed by her, I was confused at the time, but now I feel nothing but joy.

『Really?』

“Really.”

『You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?』

“I’ve never lied to Misa about things like this before.”

『This could be the first time.』

“You believe in everything else I’ve done, right?”

『Of course. You’ve always been sincere with me.』

“Then believe me this time, too.”

『…You’re being unfair, Rento-kun.』

“That’s the kind of guy I am.”

『Fufu. I know.』

Misa’s laughter makes me smile too.

But I can’t help but feel a bitter smile inside, knowing that I’m involved with Haru in that way.

Talking about sincerity seems rather ironic.

『I’m sorry. I knew about your condition from your mother, and yet it came to this.』

“You’re apologizing too much, and since the person himself knows about it and still collapses, there’s no need for Misa to feel responsible.”

『I want to feel responsible, and I want to support you. Is it wrong to feel this way?』

“…It’s not wrong, but…”

『But?』

“It feels like it’s not just a friendship anymore.”

When I said that, there was no reply from her. A period of silence followed.

Just as I was wondering if I had said something wrong, she apologized again, 『I’m sorry.』

“No, I told you, you’re apologizing too much.”

『I wanted to apologize first. But this is your fault, Rento-kun. I had decided not to say it today, but you said something like that…』

“Yeah? What do you mean——”

『I, Misa Yosaki, like you, Seko Rento as a man. I want to be by your side and support you.』

“!”

That was unmistakably a confession from Misa directed at me.

Although it felt strange to have our roles reversed, my heart couldn’t withstand the shock of her words.

『I know why you are not feeling well right now. But, because you said that, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I want to change our relationship from friends to lovers. I wanted to make that clear.』

“…Misa.”

『I don’t need an answer right now. Just calm down, think about it, and let me know when you have a firm answer inside you… I believe in you.』

Her words ‘I believe in you’ weigh heavily on me.

In a way, I have been betraying Misa. She must be aware of it after the recent incident.

Despite that, she made this statement, which probably means she means it.

My head starts to hurt——

She was probably afraid that saying this today would affect me like this and has tried not to. But my careless words made her unable to suppress her feelings.

It’s entirely my fault, and I have no right to blame her.

『There’s one more thing I want you to be relieved about.』

“Relieved?”

『Yes. The other day, I met with Haru. We discussed everything that has happened and what will happen in the future.』

“…wow. That’s a space I wouldn’t want to be in.”

『Fufu. Well, you are the main subject, after all. By the way, the area around our table was oddly empty.』

“Even strangers could feel the tension… Tough luck for the staff. By the way, where was it?”

『At that cafe run by the dandy old gentleman.』

“Then that’s fine.”

That shopkeeper has betrayed me in the past.

It’s only fair he gets a taste of his own medicine.

『Fufu, you’re terrible.』

“It’s the shopkeeper who’s terrible. He enjoyed watching my humiliation.”

『Oh? I thought you were enjoying it towards the end.』

“…Well, maybe. I wanted Misa to know how I felt.”

『…Idiot.』

Oh, what’s with that reaction? It’s cute.

This is a new kind of reaction that’s making my heart race!

『By the way, Saki has been wanting to see you. You need to make up for missing out during Golden Week.』

“Ah, y-yeah, I should.”

『I’ve only told her that you were sick without mentioning any details. I hope that’s okay. I feel bad hiding the fact that it was our fault.』

“No, it’s better this way. I couldn’t possibly tell Saki the whole truth.”

If Saki knew that I collapsed because I was troubled over getting close to two girls, she might be disappointed in me.

I couldn’t bear it if she stopped calling me her brother. Saki is like a sister to me.

After that, we chatted about trivial things for a bit and then ended the call.

Although I had been hesitant about meeting her, talking over the phone somehow made me feel more at ease.

Just as I was feeling relieved at the calmness of my heart, my heart started racing again when I looked at my notifications.

A flood of notifications. It was missed calls, all from Haru.

The moment I saw her name, my smartphone screen switched. Her name was displayed prominently on the display.

When I hesitantly answered, I heard a voice lower in tone than usual.

『Ren. Who were you talking to just now?』

I felt a cold sweat run down my back.